Twitter Reactions: South Africa Legends openers gun down 161 to steamroll Bangladesh Legends

With just two matches left for the knockouts of Road Safety World Series to begin, every game is still very relevant. The match between South Africa and Bangladesh was a very important one for the Proteas side. A win in this game guaranteed them a spot in the semi-finals and they just did that to avoid further complications in qualification.

Jonty Rhodes won the toss and decided that his side would field first. It was a bold move considering they had conceded 204 runs against India in their previous league match. Nevertheless, in a T20 match, chasing has become the way to go for most sides.

The Bangladeshi openers walked out to bat and Garnett Kruger took the new ball. While they got off to a decent start it was a brilliant effort from Jonty Rhodes that produced a wicket out of nowhere. He reminded the world that even at 51 years of age he is a gun fielder. The batsman had just dropped the ball towards point but Rhodes got to it in a flash and delivered a rocket throw at the non-strikers end.

Bangladesh’s top order batsmen did get starts but no one could convert it into a big one. Three out of the top four batsmen were dismissed in their thirties. Aftab Ahmed top scored with a 24-ball 39. His knock included one boundary and three sixes. The Asian side could manage to get only 160 runs in their 20 overs as their lower-order failed to contribute. Makhaya Nitini and Thandi Tshabalala picked up two wickets each.

Andrew Puttick plays a brilliant knock to guide his team to the semi-finals

A target of 161 was definitely not an easy one but the South African openers made a meal out of it. While Andrew Puttick played an attacking knock, Morne van Wyk provided the perfect support. Puttick played a knock of 82 runs in just 54 balls which included nine boundaries and one maximum. Morne, on the other hand, scored 69 runs off 61 balls.

South Africa won the match by 10 wickets in 19.2 overs to seal a semi-final spot for themselves. Abdur Razzak and Aftab Ahmed bowled very economically but got no support from the other bowlers. The final league match between England and West Indies is now a virtual knockout with the winner making it to the semis.

Here’s how Twitter reacted: