Summary

  • South Africa's men into their first ever World Cup final - report

  • Proteas win by nine wickets but struggle on difficult surface

  • TMS commentators label pitch as a "shambles" and "naughty"

  • Afghanistan bowled out for 56 after winning toss - their lowest ever T20 total

  • Jansen takes three wickets with new ball

  • Pacey Rabada and Nortje blow through middle order

  • Shamsi spins out the tail with 3-6

  • SA will meet England or India in Saturday's final

  • Venue: Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago

Live Reporting

by Mike Peter & Sam Drury

  1. Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Sounds

    You do feel like this is South Africa's best chance to make a final.

  2. Afg 10-1

    Decent start from Keshav Maharaj, conceding just a pair of singles as well as the boundary.

    Afghanistan need to show they can make a total having lost one of their openers - who have been so crucial - early on.

    I hope they aren't reading this live text or they might be blaming Chris Murtagh (01:28) for that wicket.

  3. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Sounds

    Afghanistan won't want to go in their shells, like they did against Bangladesh. If they were to lose this game they wouldn't want it to be because they've been circumspect in the first innings.

  4. Afg 9-1

    South Africa turn to spin for the second over and new batter Gulbadin Naib thumps Keshav Maharaj's second ball back over the bowler's head for four!

  5. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Sounds

    GurbazGetty Images

    He shakes his head as he walks off. But after pinging two down the leg side, Jansen decided to be braver and pitch one up. It looks like it's just caught the corner of a crack and found the outside edge.

  6. Geoff Lemon
    Test Match Special commentator on BBC Sounds

    Gurbaz looked like he might miss this match through injury and he hasn't contributed - they might as well have picked someone else. A massive blow for Afghanistan.

  7. WICKET

    Gurbaz c Hendricks b Jansen 0 (Afg 4-1)

    WicketGetty Images

    Edged and gone!

    Very full from Marco Jansen and Rahmanullah Gurbaz drives at it.

    Nicked to slip where Reeza Hendricks takes a good catch, low to his right.

    Big early wicket for South Africa and a huge blow for Afghanistan.

  8. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Sounds

    This pitch looks slightly strange. It's cracked, it's grassy, there's grass bits between the cracks, it's a bit like crazy paving. Both teams wanted to bat, but I don't think it'd be too bad to be bowling first on a pitch with so much grass on it.

  9. How's stat?!

    Don't expect big runs tonight...

    Winviz

  10. Afg 1-0

    Here we go.

    Marco Jansen bowls the first ball of the match and it deflects off Rahmanullah Gurbaz's thigh pad for a leg bye down to fine leg.

  11. Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Sounds

    When Afghanistan put pressure on opposition by not losing wickets that's when they've been at their best, then Gurbaz can really accelerate.

  12. Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz have been excellent so far in this tournament, Chris.

    Afghanistan will be hoping that their struggles to really keep the scoreboard moving against Bangladesh prove to be their low point.

    If South Africa can get rid of both early, though, Rashid Khan's side will be in unknown territory in this tournament.

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    Chris Murtagh: I don't want to jinx the Afghan openers but they are both due a low score aren't they? Fingers crossed not tonight.

  14. AnthemsGetty Images

    The two teams are out in Trinidad. It's time for the national anthems.

  15. Steven Finn
    Former England fast bowler on BBC Sounds

    FansGetty Images

    Two teams with the opportunity to make their first final in a World Cup.

    Unchartered territory for Afghanistan, and on the flip side for South Africa, the number of times they've had great teams and been in World Cup semis and they've never made a final, that might be hanging in the back of their minds.

  16. Meanwhile, South Africa have won all seven of their games so far at this tournament.

    But that certainly doesn't mean there has been a lack of drama. Far from it.

    The Proteas have been in a number of very close contests but managed to finish on the right side of them, including in their winner-takes-all match against co-hosts West Indies to get through to the semis...

  17. Afghanistan made it through in the end but emotions were running high during that nerve-shredding win over Bangladesh.

    It all got a bit too much for skipper Rashid Khan at one point...

  18. For Afghanistan, this is their first ever World Cup semi-final and it is less than 48 hours since they booked their place.

    They didn't make it easy for themselves but, ultimately, got the job done in an absolute thriller - I'd go so far as to call it an instant classic - against Bangladesh...

  19. Line-ups

    Afghanistan: Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (capt), Nangeyalia Kharote, Naveen-ul-Haq, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

    South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (capt), David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi.

  20. South Africa captain Aiden Markram: "We probably also would have batted as well.

    "Not too upset with bowling. It's a fresh wicket so hopefully we can get something out of it early on.

    "We'll see what is effective on this wicket and back our plans.

    "We probably haven't quite nailed it with the bat yet, conditions have been tough. This is an exciting opportunity for us to do it in the semi-final."