ICC World Cup 2019: Match 21, South Africa vs Afghanistan – Tahir’s CWC record, Afghanistan’s collapse and more stats

South Africa finally opened their win column in the 2019 World Cup as they defeated Afghanistan by nine wickets on Saturday. The Asian team’s batting struggles continued after a good short opening partnership in the previous matches. They were bundled out for 125 from 69/2 with the majority of the runs coming from Rashid Khan’s bat (35). Quinton de Kock (68) and Hashim Amla ensured there were no miracles as they shared a 104-run opening stand. Amla focused on spending time at the crease as he remained unbeaten on 41 from 83 balls.

All the statistical highlights from South Africa’s first win of World Cup 2019:

Afghanistan’s longest losing streak:

4 – Afghanistan have lost all the four matches they played in this World Cup. This is now their longest losing streak in the ODI format levelling the four successive matches they lost in 2015.

Tahir moves to the top:

5 – Imran Tahir became the first player to bag five 4-wicket hauls in the history of the World Cup. As many as four players are tied at second spot with four 4-fers apiece in the CWC. Shane Warne, Shahid Afridi, Muttiah Muralitharan and Mitchell Starc are the four players with as many as four 4-wicket hauls in CWC. Starc joined the list with his 4/55 against Sri Lanka earlier on Saturday.

A slow effort from Amla:

49.39 – Hashim Amla’s unbeaten 83-ball 41 is the 2nd slowest innings of 30+ runs for South Africa in a World Cup game. Kepler Wessels had a SR of 42.55 when he scored 40 off 94 balls against Sri Lanka back in 1992.

2006 – The previous instance before Hashim Amla, a South African scored 30+ runs in an ODI at a strike rate less than 50 was back in January 2006 by Boeta Dippenaar (41 runs off 93 balls; 44.08 SR) against Australia.

A record collapse for Afghans:

1 – Runs Afghanistan team added for 4th, 5th and 6th wicket partnerships in this game; the joint 2nd fewest in an ODI. Afghanistan lost their 3rd wicket at 69 after the rain interval and went down to 70/6.

As many as five teams before Afghanistan have added as few as one run for 4th, 5th and 6th wickets in an ODI. In the World Cup, Canada also could score only one for these three wickets collectively during the 2003 edition against Sri Lanka.

8 – Afghanistan lost four wickets from 69/3 for just 8 runs and were reduced to 77/7; the fewest by any team for 4-7 wickets in a World Cup game. The previous lowest is nine runs by three different teams.

Amla misses out on Kohli’s record:

7976 – Hashim Amla now has 7976 runs from 175 innings in the ODI format. The innings against Afghanistan was the last chance for Amla to equal Virat Kohli’s record of being the fastest to 8000 ODI runs. He needed 65 runs but ended up scoring only 41. Amla holds the fastest records for 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 ODI runs.

A slow chase by the Saffers:

28.4 – Number of overs South Africa needed to chase the target of 126 in this game; the 2nd most they needed to chase down a target less than 130 in an ODI. They required 29.3 overs during their successful chase of 129 in the 2002 Johannesburg ODI against Sri Lanka.