South Africa got off to a fiery start in the second quarterfinal of the Hong Kong Sixes 2025, thanks to an explosive display from Jorich Van Schalkwyk, who smashed four consecutive sixes off Pakistan captain Abbas Afridi in the second over.
After Pakistan won the toss and opted to field, South Africa’s openers Jorich Van Schalkwyk and Abdullah Bayoumy came out blazing. Van Schalkwyk, in particular, turned the heat on Afridi — hammering him for 26 runs in an over with four sixes in a row, all aimed over the mid-wicket boundary.
At the end of two overs, South Africa raced to 36/0, with Van Schalkwyk unbeaten on 34 off just 11 balls (five sixes) and Bayoumy steady at the other end. The South African opener’s blitzkrieg not only lifted the run rate to a staggering 18 per over but also stunned Pakistan’s bowling unit early in the contest.
Both teams came into this knockout with a 1-1 record in the group stage, but South Africa’s power-packed start has firmly put them in control as they chase a semifinal berth.
