Gurbaz ton, Omarzai 86* power Afghanistan to 311

September 21, 2024
12:40 am

Afghanistan 311 for 4 (Gurbaz 105, Omarzai 86*, Rahmat 50, Markram 1-20) vs South Africa

Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored his seventh ODI century, Rahmat Shah his 29th half-century and Azmatullah Omarzai his fastest ODI fifty as Afghanistan reached their sixth-highest total in the format. It was also the tenth time they topped 300 in ODI cricket, and the first against South Africa.

Gurbaz and Shah shared a 101-run second-wicket stand which formed the spine of the Afghan innings before aggressive fourth and fifth wicket partnerships of 55 and 40 off 40 and 23 balls respectively provided acceleration. Omarzai was the senior batter in both those stands and ended unbeaten on 86 off 50 balls.

In temperatures that officially read 38 degrees but had a real feel of 49 when play began, South Africa’s bowlers were challenged as much by the heat as by the opposition. Bjorn Fortuin and Aiden Markram were the most effective in keeping Afghanistan quiet and conceded 59 runs in 14 overs between them, but debutant legspinner Nqabayomzi Peter was expensive. His ten overs cost 68. Nandre Burger also conceded 68 runs but Lungi Ngidi was the pick of the seamers, particularly at the end of the innings. His eight and ninth over cost just ten runs and he finished with 1 for 50.

Overall, it was Afghanistan who wrote the innings story as they made good on Hasmatullah Shahidi’s decision to bat first. Gurbaz got things underway with the first boundary: a massive six over long-off, off an Ngidi length ball. He followed it up with a cover drive for four, and then two pull shots off Burger’s short balls to race to go from 4 off his first 15 balls to a run-a-ball 24.

Temba Bavuma brought on spin in the form of Fortuin in the powerplay and he kept his end quiet but Burger’s insistence on using the short ball did not serve South Africa well early on. He first spell of five overs cost 32 runs. He was replaced by Peter and South Africa operated with spin from both ends. Peter’s first over was tight but he went on to give away a boundary in each of his next two, including Gurbaz’s sweep which brought up his fifty, before Markam took over.

Markram got the first wicket when he beat Riaz Hassan’s inside edge and hit him on the pad above the knee roll. Hassan reviewed but the ball-tracking showed it was hitting legstump. Afghanistan were 88 for 1.

Gurbaz quietened down for a couple of overs but when Wiaan Mulder was brought on in the 21st over, he could not resist a charge down. He hit Mulder over long-on for his second six. What followed was an electric display of shots from both Gurbaz and Rahmat in a stand that seemed to drain South Africa. Rahmat reverse paddled Markam to third and flicked Mulder fine for four, Gurbaz lofted Peter over mid-off, mid-wicket and swept Fortuin to deep backward square to edge towards 90.

Then, the nerves kicked in. He spent 18 deliveries in the 90s and seven of those on 99, including a maiden over from Fortuin, as he inched towards his milestone. He got there when he swept Markram behind square leg and his response was as emotive as they come. Gurbaz dropped his bat and then himself to his knees in sajdah, and then composed himself to create a heart-shape with his hands and blow a kiss to the changeroom and a spirited Sharjah crowd. However, in the next over, he swung at a Burger ball, missed and was bowled to end an exceptional knock. This is also the third successive year in which Gurbaz has scored two hundreds and with this knock, Gurbaz has most ODI hundreds for Afghanistan, surpassing Mohammad Shahzad (6).

Afghanistan’s 200 was up after 36 overs, and they would have been eyeing a total in excess of 300. Peter made it difficult for them before the last ten overs and picked up his first ODI wicket when he dragged his length back as Rahmat advanced on him, and had the batter stumped on 50.

Omarzai’s intent in the final period was clear when he hit Mulder over long-off for six two balls into the last ten. He sent Peter in the same area, twice, and then hit him over mid-wicket for his fourth sixth and the shot that brought up his half-century, off 32 balls. Mohammad Nabi was little more than a spectator in the 55-run stand with Omarzai but when he tried to smash an Ngidi slower ball, he skied to Bavuma to depart for 13.

That brought birthday boy Rashid Khan to the crease and he was in immediate trouble. He hit Ngidi to sweeper cover and ran two but pulled up at the end of the second run with what looked like a hamstring concern. He received treatment on the field, skied the next ball he faced, which Peter couldn’t get to, and then held his hamstring again. While coach Jonathan Trott indicated he would like to see Rashid come off, he stayed with Omarzai as he took Afghanistan over 300. Afghanistan scored 93 runs in their last ten overs.

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and women’s cricket