Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago: On Thursday morning, South Africa made history by demolitioning Afghanistan by a vast nine wickets to book their place in the T20 World Cup final for the very first time. Chasing a paltry 58 runs, the Proteas cruised to victory in 8.5 overs, losing only one wicket.

This resounding win is a defining moment for South Africa, a team consistently challenged at the World Cup. Today, they were not just victorious but ruthless, extinguishing Afghanistan’s dream run in the tournament with a display of sheer dominance.

Afghanistan, who had reached their maiden World Cup semi-final, were sent into bat after South Africa won the toss. But their batting line-up imploded in the face of disciplined bowling, being dismissed for a mere 57 runs—their lowest-ever total in the World Cup. Azmatullah Omarzai’s solitary double-digit score of 10 runs hinted at some attacking display. Still, wickets fell regularly, with three Afghan batsmen, including the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz, dismissed for ducks.

South Africa’s bowling attack operated as a cohesive unit. Marco Jansen emerged as the leading disruptor, taking three wickets for 16 runs. The spin duo of Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj, with figures of 3/6 and 1/13, respectively, choked the flow of runs during the middle overs. Meanwhile, pacers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, with figures of 2/14 and 2/7, respectively, provided early breakthroughs and maintained the threatening rate against Afghan batters.

With a modest target to chase, South African openers Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram batted with a purpose to ensure a comfortable win, taking them closer to their first-ever T20 World Cup title. They now await the winner of the second semi-final between India and England to find out who they will face in the grand finale.