2010 ICC World Twenty20: SA Storm into Super Eights as Morne Morkel Demolishes Afghanistan

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Sreelata YellamrazuMay 6 2010

South Africa faced an unusual proposition. They had to beat Afghanistan after losing to India in order to make it to the Super Eights of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20. But South Africa proved too much for the Afghanistan team when it really mattered.

mrone morkel sa against afghanistan

Afghanistan were in with a feisty opportunity to cause an upset in a pressure situation. However, South Africa and Morne Morkel transitioned to another level as the young team was humbled by a rather worthy opponent.

Dale Steyn began the slide, clipping the wings of opener Noor Ali and then of the no. 3 Mohammad Shahzad off consecutive overs of his own bowling. But it was Morkel who began with the wicket of Nawroz Mangal, the Aghanistan captain, to leave the team at three down with just seven runs on board at the start of the fourth over.

Thereafter Morkel continued to tow the line of chin music, sending a stunned Afghanistan team reeling at the Kensington Oval in Barbados in the day and night match.

12/5, 25/7, 32/8 in 7.5 overs, not the scores that Afghanistan would look back in fondness. Whatever little fight came from Mirwais Ashraf and Hamid Hassan came too late to even care. Afghanistan were packed up like a pack of cards, all out for eighty in sixteen overs.

For South Africa, it was just the morale booster they needed going into the Super Eights. Tentative batting start after Loots Bosman was run out, Graeme Smith lived a charmed life until he was finally halted in his tracks for twenty-seven. Thereafter Jacques Kallis became pivotal with thirty-four runs, with cameos coming from JP Duminy and Albie Morkel as South Africa raised their total to 139 runs, which proved fifty-nine runs too many for Afghanistan.

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