The Proteas have beaten Afghanistan comfortably in an ICC T20 World Cup warm-up match at the Tolerance Oval in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Most of the Proteas top and middle-order batsmen had some time in the middle after they won the toss and opted to bat first. Themba Bavuma opened the batting with Quinton de Kock, but the pair made a sluggish start on an even slower surface. Bavuma scored just one run off 12 deliveries before he finally got going, while De Kock managed just a run-a-ball seven before he was dismissed.
RESULT | Vuma #Proteas WIN BY 41 RUNS
Tabraiz Shamsi (3/18) and Lungi Ngidi (2/27) led the bowling attack as we restricted Afghanistan to 104/8.
Earlier, Aiden Markam top-scored with 48 as we posted 145/5 in our 20 overs.#T20WorldCup #BePartOfIt
ICC pic.twitter.com/RTgy0o8orQ
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) October 18, 2021
Aiden Markram was the pick of the batsmen, top-scoring with 48 runs from 35 deliveries. He shared in a 52-run stand with Bavuma before the skipper was dismissed for 31 off 39 balls. Rassie van der Dussen and David Miller picked up the scoring rate at the back end of the innings. Van der Dussen scored 21 from 17 and Miller clubbed 20 from just 10 deliveries to lift South Africa’s total to 145 for five in their 20 overs. This is a reasonably competitive total, considering their slow start and the difficult scoring conditions on a wicket with virtually no pace.
The Proteas bowling attack was on point with the ball in hand as all the bowlers shared the spoils. Seamers Lungi Ngidi and Dwaine Pretorius took one wicket each early on. But on this surface, it was the spinners who dominated. Bjorn Fortuin and Keshav Maharaj took a scalp each but the pick of the bowlers was Tabraiz Shamsi who took three wickets for just 18 runs in his four overs.
Ngidi bowled the final over, taking another wicket, his second to help restrict Afghanistan to 104 for eight and give the Proteas a comfortable 41-run victory. South Africa’s second warm-up match is against Pakistan on Wednesday.
