Super overs and shattered nerves: South Africa's thrilling T20 World Cup encounter

Comment

“Never been that stressed in my life in a cricket game!”

Lungi Ngidi’s summary of all the drama that unfolded in Ahmedabad speaks volumes for everyone that sat through yesterday’s insane ICC T20 World Cup clash with Afghanistan.

The Proteas are accustomed to putting their supporters through the wringer at World Cups. Think 1999 and 2015 World Cup semifinals. And for the younger generation, the T20 World Cup final just two years ago in Barbados. 

TV show host and radio personality Dan Nicholl could not have said it better in his post on X.

“Forget brandy and Coke, red meat, insufficient exercise, the day to day stress of crime and service delivery. The single biggest contributing factor to heart conditions in South Africa is watching the Proteas play at Cricket World Cups.”

Yes, Wednesday’s encounter topped off all the previous nailbiters. A meltdown in the last over from the least expected suspect Kagiso Rabada set it all up. Two no balls, a wide, and being struck for six had everyone shouting full South African expletives - just like Aiden Markram did when Ngidi was asked to take off his armband by Mohammad Nabi - at the television. 

But the soapie was now only in its prologue. The real action was still to come. A match that had started at 7.30am with most South Africans still distracted by the traffic enroute to the office had by now consumed everyone’s attention.

Meetings were postponed. Podcast recordings were delayed. That certainly was the sentiment in the Independent Sports team with everyone jumping on a video call ahead of the first Super Over. 

It did not matter that cricket was not your primary beat, but the sheer drama of it all had everyone engrossed.

Whatsapp groups were blowing up. Cricket ‘fans’ were branding the infamous ‘choker’ tag around freely again. 

The game was being followed intensely from Ahmedabad via Attridgeville through to Athlone.

Everyone had their hearts in their mouth when Tristan Stubbs was tasked with needing to hit a six off the final ball of the first Super Over to send the game into another six-ball shootout. 

There are few more likeable cricketers in the world than Stubbs, purely for his heart-on-the-sleeve passionate displays in a Proteas jersey. But that wasn’t going to help him now, he needed nerves of steel and cold execution. 

Stubbs duly got the job done. There would be another Super Over. Never in the history of the T20 World Cup had this happened before. This was uncharted territory. 

So much so, that SuperSport had not scheduled the extra time required in their channelling with the game moved midway through from 201 to 212 to send Proteas fans into a further spiral.

“What’s happened?” “Where must I watch the cricket now?” “WTAF … SuperSport!” were just some of the Whatsapps I received. 

To be fair to the pay channel, they had been issuing a prior warning in big red letters that the channels would be switched.

But to add to the confusion, the broadcast had missed an all-important six on the scoreboard, which showed Miller and Stubbs walking off the field after only five balls. 

Again more chaos unfolded - and this had nothing to do with the live action. 

Fortunately, order was restored, only to see Keshav Maharaj taking the ball for the second Super Over. 

Now Proteas coach Shukri Conrad loves a gut pick, but this was an all-in decision. Cards on the table. Now for Afghanistan to make their play. 

It helped that Maharaj wanted the ball, and within two balls it looked like Conrad’s Midas touch had done it. No runs, and the wicket of Mohammad Nabi. Afghanistan now had to do a Carlos Brathwaite - smash four successive sixes - if they were to do the impossible. 

Rahmanullah Gurbaz doesn’t know the meaning of the word though. He proceeded to power three sixes to leave everyone stunned.

Maharaj buckled by delivering a wide, but then showed off the ice that runs through his veins by having Gurbaz caught off the final ball. 

The Proteas had won the most amazing game of cricket. Everyone could finally take a breath.