Highlights, 2019 World Cup, Match 21: South Africa beat Afghanistan by 9 wickets

South Africa vs Afghanistan, 2019 World Cup, Match 21

Live Cricket Score, South Africa vs Afghanistan, 2019 World Cup, Match 21: Hello and welcome to our coverage of South Africa vs Afghanistan, 2019 World Cup, Match 21 from Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Stay tuned for updates and ball-by-ball commentary fro the SA vs AFG clash. Opening defeats to England, Bangladesh and India, and a washout with the West Indies, have left South Africa needing to win their five remaining games to have any prospect of making the semifinals at the Cricket World Cup. South Africa face Afghanistan — the only side below them in the 10-team table — in Cardiff on Saturday. "We've got to win the five games," du Plessis says.  "We just haven't unlocked the potential that we do have in our side,"  he added. Afghanistan is on a losing streak, too, having lost three straight ODIs for the first time since the 2015 World Cup. Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi could return to the Proteas attack after missing the last two games with a tight hamstring. A final decision will likely be made Saturday morning. Follow live updates from South Africa vs Afghanistan match here. [Match Scorecard] [Live Stream SA vs AFG]

Highlights, World Cup 2019, Match 21: South Africa beat Afghanistan by 9 wickets

00.28 IST: Mohammad Nabi to Andile Phehlukwayo, SIX! First six of the game and it will be the only one as Phehlukwayo finishes off in style. South Africa win by 9 wickets and their maiden win of the tournament!

00.15 IST: Rashid Khan to Andile Phehlukwayo, FOUR! Phehlukwayo has struck that really well. Tossed up on off, Andile gets down on one knee and sweeps it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

00.04 IST: Gulbadin Naib to Quinton de Kock, OUT! Caught! Sharp catch from Mohammad Nabi. This won't be a 10-wicket win then. Full and around middle and leg, de Kock whips it away again, this time through mid-wicket but cannot quite keep it down, nor find the gap. Mohammad Nabi takes a good catch at short mid-wicket to his right, reacting swiftly. Then complains to the keeper that the sun was in his eyes. De Kock walks back with a wry smile. Must have been eyeing a not out. SA 104/1 in 22.5 overs

00.02 IST: Mohammad Nabi to Quinton de Kock, WIDE! It is outside the tramline on the off side. De Kock looks to hit it but misses.

23.49 IST: Mohammad Nabi to Hashim Amla, FOUR! Excellent shot. A sign of aggression from Amla. Tossed up on the pads, Amla hits it over square leg and gets a boundary.

23.44 IST: Mohammad Nabi to Hashim Amla, FOUR! Nicely played. Full and outside off, Amla gets his bat down and gently reverse sweeps it through the vacant slip cordon to the third man fence.

23.43 IST: Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, FOUR! Fifty comes up for de Kock with that boundary. The over ends the way it started. Floated on off, de Kock heaves it over mid-wicket and gets a boundary to reach his second fifty of this World Cup. His 23rd in ODIs.

23.37 IST: Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, FOUR! Rashid is unable to spin his magic here so far. He overpitches it on off, de Kock gets down on one knee and whacks his sweep over mid-wicket for a boundary.

23.22 IST: Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, FOUR! Very well played this. Rashid bowls it fast and short outside off, de Kock cuts it late past point and gets a boundary as the ball goes to the backward point fence. 50 comes up for South Africa with that boundary.

23.17 IST: Gulbadin Naib to Quinton de Kock, IN THE AIR...FOUR! Comical this. You hardly see this in international cricket. Full on off, de Kock decides enough of the waiting game and he looks to loft it but gets a thick outside edge. The ball flies to the right of third man.

23.11 IST: Rashid Khan to Quinton de Kock, FOUR! Not the start Rashid would have wanted. Short on middle, de Kock gets on his back foot and pulls it through mid-wicket.

23.02 IST: Hamid Hassan to Hashim Amla, FOUR! Vintage Amla. Hassan is guilty of bowling it too full on middle and leg, Amla rolls back the years and plays a beautiful on drive for a boundary.

22.56 IST: Aftab Alam to Quinton de Kock, FOUR! This should get de Kock going. Good length ball outside off, de Kock plants his front foot forwards and drives it between mid off and cover. Naib runs behind it from mid off but the ball beats him slowly to the ropes.

22.51 IST: Aftab Alam to Hashim Amla, EDGED AND FOUR! First one off the innings. It has not come off the middle but Amla will take it. Outside off on a length, Amla looks to play it on the off side but gets a thick inside edge which goes past the stumps towards the vacant fine leg fence.

22.09 IST: Chris Morris to Hassan Ali, OUT! Afghanistan all out on 125.

22.04 IST: Imran Tahir to Rashid Khan, OUT! Caught! Tahir wins the battle of the leggies. A short ball, the slider this time, Rashid pulls and the connection is sweet too. 

22.02 IST: Imran Tahir to Rashid Khan, FOUR! Very nicely played. Tossed up outside off, Rashid comes down the track, takes it on the full and carves it over cover!

22.01 IST: Imran Tahir to Rashid Khan, FOUR! Nicely played. Full and around off, Rashid gets down and sweeps it between short fine leg and square leg.

21.57 IST: Chris Morris to Ikram Ali Khil, OUT! Edged and taken! The stubborn partnership has been broken at last. Morris has his second and Afghanistan are heading towards a very small total.

21.44 IST: Kagiso Rabada to Rashid Khan, FOUR! Tonks it straight over the mid-off! 100 comes up for Afghanistan!

21.35 IST: Kagiso Rabada to Rashid Khan, FOUR! A bit fortuitous this time. Outside off, on a length, Khan looks to punch it through the covers but the ball comes back in, takes the inside edge and goes past the diving de Kock's left side to the fine leg fence.

21.33 IST: Kagiso Rabada to Rashid Khan, FOUR! HANDSOME! Overpitched outside off, Rashid leans and drives it past the bowler. No mid off and that is a boundary.

21.29 IST: Imran Tahir to Gulbadin Naib, OUT! Caught! Another one goes down and Tahir has his third. 3/3 in his third over with the score reading 77/7. Not the greatest of deliveries but a fantastic catch to get those numbers. A googly, short in length, Naib picks it and looks to pull. But he does not quite time it cleanly and hence, cannot get the elevation. The ball goes over mid-wicket but Aiden Markram at short mid-wicket times his leap to perfection and takes a stinger! Tahir runs to his right and this time his marathon is cut short at short mid-wicket.

21.18 IST: Andile Phehluwayo to Mohammad Nabi, OUT! BOWLED! Dragged on! Bad, worse, now worst. The rain break has completely turned the tables here. A length ball outside off, Nabi looks to punch it through the off side but the ball is too close to him and cramps Nabi for room.

21.14 IST: Imran Tahir to Asghar Afghan, OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! Second wicket in the over and Afghanistan are in tatters now. This is the leg spinner. Afghan looks to work it to the leg side from outside off but this one spins away. Was he expecting the googly?

21.10 IST: Imran Tahir to Noor Ali Zadran, OUT! BOWLED! Foxed by the googly! Tahir has set off on a marathon run. On his very first ball. South Africa in total control now. How many times have we seen this? Tahir bowling a wrong 'un on his very first or second ball? Here is another example. This is pitched outside off and Noor Ali plays a lazy cover drive, without moving his feet much.

21.06 IST: Andile Phehlukwayo to Hashmatullah Shahidi, OUT! Caught! The halt in play has brought a lapse in concentration here. Phehlukwayo bowls it fuller on off, Shahidi looks to drive it but the ball nips away after pitching. The ball finds the outside edge of Shahidi's bat and goes straight to South Africa skipper, Faf du Plessis at first slip. He takes a regulation catch there.

21.04 IST: UPDATE: The match has been reduced to 48 overs per side.

20.02 IST: Another rain delay.

19.52 IST: Instant review from Noor Ali Zadran, and review proves that there was an inside-edge! NOT OUT!

19.50 IST: Andile Phehlukwayo to Noor Ali Zadran, A huge LBW appeal, but umpire gives it OUT!

19.39 IST: Andile Phehlukwayo to Hashmatullah Shahidi, FOUR! Short and outside off, Shahidi cuts it through point and the ball races away!

19.34 IST: Morris to Rahmat Shah, OUT! LBW! AFG 56/2 in 15.1 overs

19.27 IST: Morris to Noor Ali, FOUR! Well played! A short ball, outside off, Rahmat pulls it over mid-wicket and gets a boundary for himself in the vacant real estate. 50 UP FOR AFGHANISTAN. Time for a move on now. AFG 52/1 in 14 overs

19.25 IST: Morris to Zadran, 3 runs! Almost a return catch! Full and outside off, Noor Ali drives it a tad loosely straight back. Morris sticks out his left hand but the ball is far from him. Imran Tahir starts to run from mid on but Beuran Hendricks chases it down from mid off. Gets to the ball and at the last moment, flicks it back to Tahir. Three runs taken. AFG 48/1 in 13.3 overs

19.21 IST: Chris Morris to Rahmat Shah, EDGED, BUT SHORT! Super bowling from Morris. He lands it on a length outside off, Rahmat pushes at it but the ball seams away, bounces extra, takes the outside edge and goes behind. De Kock dives to his right but the ball is too far from him and it does not carry either. Hashim Amla stops it at first slip to his left. A maiden from Morris.

19.18 IST: Andile Phehlukwayo to Noor Ali Zadran, NOT OUT. Just short. Full and outside off, Noor Ali looks to defend but the ball goes off the outside edge. Towards second slip where Faf du Plessis collects it by going to his right. He claims the catch and the umpires refer it upstairs but replays show that the ball has bounced.

19.17 IST: Andile Phehlukwayo to Rahmat Shah, DIRECT HIT WOULD HAVE HAD RAHMAT. On middle, Rahmat tucks it towards mid-wicket and sets off for a quick single.

* POWERPLAY 2 time. 4 fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. We have the first bowling change as well. Andile Phehlukwayo running in.

19.11 IST: Beuran Hendricks to Noor Ali Zadran, Uppish, but safe! Just a ball before, the man at point was a few paces in. But he was pushed back. Full and outside off, Noor Ali pushes it uppishly but the ball did not carry to point. 43/1 in Powerplay 1, whose has it been? South Africa's for not giving away too many runs or Afghanistan's, for not losing more than a wicket?

19.06 IST: Beuran Hendricks to Noor Ali Zadran, FOUR! In the gap! Short and outside off, Noor Ali punches it in the gap between cover and point and fetches a boundary! AFG 43/1 in 9.5 overs

* Rahmat Shah walks in at number 3, replacing Zazai.

19.00 IST: Kagiso Rabada to Hazrat Zazai, OUT! OUT! There goes the first wicket. The short ball does the trick. Tring tring! Any surprise? Asian side batting, bowl short. That is what Rabada does. Bangs it in middle, Zazai looks to pull but is hurried in by the fast-paced delivery. Miscues it, gets a top edge and Rassie van der Dussen runs in nicely from deep mid-wicket, slides ahead and takes it nicely. So Zazai's T20ish innings as always, comes to an end soon.

18.58 IST: Beuran Hendricks to Hazrat Zazai, FOUR! Oh yes! This time Zazai connects. A length ball, outside off, Hazrat backs away and smashes it wide of mid off for a boundary.

18.55 IST: Kagiso Rabada to Noor Ali Zadran, That is a snorter. On a short length, outside off, Zadran looks to feel for it but the ball rises steeply and beats the outside edge.

18.53 IST: Kagiso Rabada to Hazrat Zazai, On a length around middle, helped through square leg for a single.

18.52 IST: Beuran Hendricks to Noor Ali Zadran, Full on middle, driven back to the bowler.

* Wow. The sun is shining in all its glory. Overcast conditions have been replaced by bright and sunny ones. We are about to resume. Meanwhile, in London, Australia have finished with 334/7 against Sri Lanka after being put in to bat. Looks to be a good chase on the cards.

18.27 IST: Bad news. Rain has stopped the play at Cardiff.

18.25 IST: Beuran Hendricks to Noor Ali Zadran, FOUR! Another boundary and the heavens have opened up! A length ball, down the leg side, Noor Ali help it past the keeper to the fine leg fence.

18.22 IST: Beuran Hendricks to Noor Ali Zadran, FOUR! GLORIOUS! Consecutive boundaries for Afghanistan. Half volley outside off, Noor Ali leans and drives it through the covers for a boundary!

18.20 IST: Kagiso Rabada to Hazratullah Zazai, FOUR! CATCH DROPPED! It was a huge top-edge, and the ball soared over the cloudy sky of Cardiff. 

18.17 IST: Kagiso Rabada to Noor Ali Zadran, Huge appeal for run-out! But the batsman was inside the line. 

18.13 IST:  Beuran Hendricks to Noor Ali Zadran, FOUR! Brilliant cut shot from Zadran! Opened the face of the bat in the last moment to steer the ball through the gap between cover and midwicket.

18.02 IST: Kagiso Rabada to Hazrat Zazai, FOUR! A poor ball to end the over. A full toss, on middle, Zazai flicks it through square leg. Imran Tahir races to his right from third man and dives but in vain.

18.00 IST: The players are on the field.

Afghanistan XI: Hazratullah Zazai, Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Gulbadin Naib(c), Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Ali khil(w), Rashid Khan, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan

South Africa XI: Quinton de Kock(w), Hashim Amla, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis(c), Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir, Beuran Hendricks

17.34 IST: South Africa have won the toss and chose to field first. Playing XIs on the way..

Brief Preview: South Africa were never seen as one of the favourites to reach the last four of the ongoing World Cup largely due to their inexperienced batting line-up. And their performance so far in the tournament has been disappointing, to say the least. South Africa's best result thus far has been a 'no result' owing to their washed out match against the West Indies on Monday, coming on the back of a hat-trick of comprehensive defeats. Afghanistan, who face South Africa on Saturday, too have suffered a similar fate in the tournament so far, as their batting collapses have given their star-studded bowling line-up little to defend. In the three matches they have played so far, Afghanistan have managed scores of 207, 152 and 172 -- totals that have been deemed chaseable decades back in ODI cricket.