This game simply refuses to breathe.
After Afghanistan were run out off the final ball of regulation time to force a Super Over, the drama only intensified as the first Super Over ended in a tie — setting up yet another decider.
Afghanistan Super Over – 17/0
Lungi Ngidi had the ball. Azmatullah Omarzai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz walked out, with Mohammad Nabi padded up.
Ball 1 – FOUR:
Low full-toss on off, Azmat stays deep and squeezes it between backward point and short third. Afghanistan 4/0.
Ball 2 – SIX:
Slower off-cutter, full outside off. Azmat lofts over long-off. Marco Jansen leaps but it clears him. Afghanistan 10/0.
Ball 3 – 1 run:
Low full-toss outside off, driven to sweeper cover. 11/0.
Ball 4 – 1 run:
Slower off-cutter again, Gurbaz mistimes to long-on. 12/0.
Ball 5 – FOUR:
Length ball outside off. Azmat slashes. Rabada runs, dives, catches airborne — but as he falls, the ball rolls over the boundary cushions. Agonising moment for South Africa. Afghanistan 16/0.
Ball 6 – 1 run:
Pinpoint yorker. Dug out to short fine. They don’t attempt the second. Afghanistan finish on 17/0.
Target: 18.
South Africa Super Over – 17/1
David Miller and Dewald Brevis stepped out first. Tristan Stubbs padded up as the third batter. Fazalhaq Farooqi took responsibility with the ball.
Ball 1 – 1 run:
Full-toss outside off. Miller mistimes to long-on. Just one.
Ball 2 – SIX:
Short outside off from round the wicket. Brevis goes back and smashes a 97m pull over deep mid-wicket. 7/0.
Ball 3 – OUT:
Slower bouncer, off-cutter dug in. Brevis is early on the pull, top-edge to Gurbaz. Afghanistan roar. 7/1.
Ball 4 – FOUR:
Yorker length just outside off. Stubbs drives, thick bottom-edge flies past Gurbaz to third man. Fortune with South Africa. 11 off 3 becomes 7 off 2.
Ball 5 – DOT:
Full on off. Stubbs drills it straight back. Farooqi stops it. South Africa need 6 off 1 to force another tie.
Ball 6 – SIX:
Farooqi misses his length. Stubbs launches it over the boundary. We are level again.
17 plays 17.
The Super Over is tied.
This T20 World Cup clash has now delivered a run-out off a free-hit, two clutch boundary-line moments, and a tied Super Over — and the madness is not done yet.
Another Super Over beckons.