1st Semi-Final: Pakistan v South Africa

The South African juggernaut was brought to a arrest arrest by Shahid Afridi who, with a little advice from his team-mates, dumped the clash favourites out of the World Twenty20 and anchored Pakistan's abode in the final. Afridi put in an all-round achievement of amazing intensity, appropriation Pakistan to a condonable absolute with an advancing yet methodical half-century, afore bowling a spell that larboard the South Africans disturbing at Trent Bridge.

The analytic South African side, best in the competition, were favourites activity in to the semi-final and their bowlers fought admirably to bind Pakistan to 149 when, at one date a absolute of 170 seemed on the cards. With the barring of Jacques Kallis, though, their batsmen bootless to accord the hunt any array of direction. They were suffocated by Afridi and the offspinner Saeed Ajmal and their disability to account abundant runs during the average overs larboard them with too abundant to do adjoin the define accurateness of Umar Gul's yorkers.

South Africa had accomplished 40 for 0 in the sixth over aback Mohammad Aamer gave Pakistan an opening, captivation a skier of Graeme Smith off his own bowling, account afterwards the South African captain had been alone by Gul.

Afridi, aerial on aplomb afterwards his innings, came into the advance in the seventh over but was anon apprenticed by Herschelle Gibbs to the awning boundary. That was as bad as his black would get. He bounced back, bowling Herschelle Gibbs with a beeline and quick commitment and, an over later, he got AB de Villiers the aforementioned way. South Africa were 50 for 3 and struggling.

Kallis and JP Duminy prevented the abatement of any added wickets but they were clumsy to accession the run-rate. Afridi got the brawl to turn, animation and bustle on the batsmen and accomplished with 2 for 16 while Saeed Ajmal, the offspinner, was additionally difficult to account off because of his variations.

The bearings was absolute for Umar Gul to do what he does best, hit the blockhole. Afterwards an aloof aboriginal over from the Radcliffe Road end, he ran in from the pavilion and accursed in yorker afterwards yorker. It didn't amount who was batting, those deliveries were absurd to hit. Duminy and Kallis could not get the brawl off the square. It was Ajmal who addled the absolute draft aback he had Kallis bent on the long-on boundary, realistically catastrophe South Africa's chances. They bare 23 off the aftermost over, a albatross Younis Khan handed to the 17-year-old Aamer, who had bowled three overs for 15. He gave alone 15 more, and beatific Trent Bridge into raptures.