Ahmedabad, Feb 11 (NationPress) In a stellar performance, South Africa managed to score 187/6 in their Group D showdown against Afghanistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday, thanks to an impressive 114-runQuinton de Kock and Ryan Rickelton.

After being put to bat first, South Africa faced an early setback when Aiden Markram was dismissed cheaply, falling prey to Fazalhaq Farooqi who executed a clever slower ball, leading to a mis-hit to mid-off. At that point, Afghanistan had gained an early advantage at 12/1 in the third over. However, a remarkable counterattack followed.

Both de Kock and Rickelton managed to withstand challenging spells from Farooqi and Mujahed Ur Rahman before accelerating their scoring. De Kock particularly targeted any deliveries that were overpitched, hitting both Mujeeb and later Rashid Khan for sixes, while Rickelton showcased his creative strokeplay with reverse sweeps and powerful slog sweeps against the spinners.

In the 10th over, the introduction of Noor Ahmad proved costly as he conceded 23 runs while both batters shifted gears. By the end of the first ten overs, South Africa raced to 98/1, seizing the momentum. They both reached their half-centuries in the 11th over, with de Kock’s fifty coming from a pull shot over midwicket and Rickelton achieving his with a massive six over long-on.

Needing a breakthrough, Afghanistan's captain Rashid Khan made a decisive impact. In the 13th over he dismissed both set batsmen, with de Kock scoring 59 off 41 balls and Rickelton smashing 61 off just 28 deliveries, successfully halting their aggressive play. Rashid’s bowling performance of 2-28 proved crucial in bringing Afghanistan back into the match.

As the innings progressed, the middle overs witnessed a slowdown with Dewald Brevis and David Miller striving to stabilize the innings. Rashid and Noor tightened their grip while Azmatullah Omarzai cleverly mixed his pace to dismantle the middle order. Brevis was dismissed for 23 while attempting to attack a slower ball, and Tristan Stubbs also fell cheaply as Afghanistan continued their comeback.

Despite the minor collapse, South Africa found late momentum through Marco Jansen and Miller. Jansen made a brief yet impactful contribution, scoring 16 off 7 balls, including a soaring six. Miller finished unbeaten on 20 from 15 balls, ensuring the innings concluded with strength.

Azmatullah emerged as the standout bowler towards the end, concluding with figures of 3-41, as South Africa finished at a competitive 187/6. Although Rashid's double strike offered Afghanistan a glimmer of hope, the solid foundation laid by de Kock and Rickelton, along with the late contributions from Miller and Jansen, ensured the Proteas set a challenging target that any batting lineup would find daunting on that pitch.

Brief Scores: South Africa 187/6 in 20 overs (Ryan Rickleton 61, Quinton de Kock 59; Azmatullah Omarzai 3-41, Rashid Khan 2-28)