World Cup 2023 | Rassie Van Der Dussen Scripts SA's Win After Coetzee’s Four-Fer vs AFG

Rassie van der Dussen in action against AFG at the 2023 World Cup (AP)

Brief Scores: Afghanistan: 244 all out (50 overs) [Azmatullah Omarzai: 97* (107), Noor Ahmad: 26 (32); Gerald Coetzee 4/44 (10), Keshav Maharaj 2/25 (10)] lost to South Africa: 247-5 (47.3 overs) [Rassie van der Dussen: 76* (95), Quinton de Kock: 41 (47); Mohammad Nabi 2/35 (10), Rashid Khan 2/37 (10)] by five wickets.

South Africa defeats Afghanistan in their final league fixture to get back to winning ways prior to the World Cup 2023 knockouts.

Omarzai’s rearguard fightback takes AFG to 244

Winning the toss and opting to bat first for the second time in succession, Afghanistan top-order failed to recreate their opening flair from the game against Australia as they slumped to 45-3 inside their first 11 overs. Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi were packed in succession by ace South African tweaker Keshav Maharaj, who eventually finished his 10-over spell at 2-25.

Fellow in-form batters Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah also failed to convert their starts into notable scores as Proteas bowlers compressed run-flow from both ends of the crease. However, number five Azmatullah Omarzai defied the high-flying South African bunch by sparking a remarkable a lower-order rebellion.

Omarzai batted with grit and determination as his noteworthy alliances with the tailenders stretched Afghanistan’s total from 160-7 to a competitive 244 all out by the end of their 50 overs.

The cricketer scored an unbeaten 97, and safely negated Gerald Coetzee’s wicket-taking spree by adding crucial runs with Rashid Khan (14) and Noor Ahmad (26).

Coetzee unfurled the spell of the innings with 4-44 while pace mate Lungi Ngidi also bagged two wickets in the middle overs.

Rassie van der Dussen overcomes top-order jitters

The South Africans lost their plot in the run-chase despite featuring an attacking 64-run opening stand between captain Temba Bavuma and in-form Quinton de Kock. Their sudden dismissals at the hands of Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi left the gateway open for a potential Afghanistan fightback, before it was eventually extinguished by Rassie van der Dussen’s calculated second-innings masterclass.

The South African number three listed his second half-century of the tournament, and survived a tense backend phase after his side slipped to 182-5 in 37.1 overs. Afghanistan spin twins Nabi and Rashid Khan bowled out their quota to deliver identical two-wicket spells, while a cautious Rassie van der Dussen took his side to a five-wicket win alongside Andile Phehlukwayo with 15 balls to spare.

Phehlukwayo himself whacked a near run-a-ball 39*, which featured a barrage of late sixes towards the closing stages.

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