The Saturday was superhit as the big stage of the T20 World Cup witnessed four thrilling matches. In the first match, Afghanistan faced New Zealand, Bangladesh faced Sri Lanka, the third clash was organized between the Netherlands and South Africa, and Australia faced England in the last match of the day. Those matches witnessed some exciting batting performances that impacted the table of the most run scorers of the tournament.
Afghanistan’s Excellence and New Zealand’s Struggle:
In the first match of the day, Afghanistan faced New Zealand. In that match, Afghanistan showcased their batting excellence once again. While batting first, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadra gave the perfect start to their innings. After the first match, Gurbaz played another exciting knock of 80 runs in 56 balls. Zadran scored 44 runs in 41 balls. Azmatullah Omarzai added 22 runs. Depending on those innings, New Zealand scored 159/6 in 20 overs.
In reply, New Zealand only managed to score 75 runs. Their batting lineup struggled. Conway walked out on 8 runs. Kane Williamson scored 9 runs in 13 balls. Glenn Phillips scored 18 runs in 18 overs. Matt Henry scored 12 runs in 17 balls. They got all out in just 75 runs.
Brief Score: Afghanistan 159/6 in 20 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 80, Ibrahim Zadran 44, Fazalhaq Farooqi 4/17, Rashid Khan (c) 4/17)
New Zealand: 75/10 in 15.2 overs (Glenn Phillips 18, Matt Henry 12, Trent Boult 2/22, Matt Henry 2/37)
The Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka Thriller:
In the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Match 15, Bangladesh secured a thrilling victory over Sri Lanka, winning by 2 wickets. Batting first, Sri Lanka posted a total of 124/9 in their 20 overs. Pathum Nissanka was the standout performer with 47 runs off 28 balls, while Dhananjaya de Silva contributed 21 runs off 26 balls, and Charith Asalanka added 19 runs off 21 balls. The other batters struggled to score and were dismissed early.
On the flip side, Bangladesh chased down the target set by Sri Lanka, scoring 125/8 in 19 overs. Towhid Hridoy led the charge with a quickfire 40 off 20 balls, while wicketkeeper Litton Das contributed a steady 36 off 38 balls. Mahmudullah remained unbeaten, scoring 16 off 13 balls, ensuring Bangladesh’s victory by 2 wickets in a tightly contested match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Brief Score: Bangladesh: 125/8 in 19 overs ( Towhid Hridoy 40 (20), Litton Das 36 (38), Mustafizur Rahman (3/17) Rishad Hossain (3/22))
Sri Lanka: 124/9 in 20 overs ( Pathum Nissanka 47 (28), Dhananjaya de Silva 21 (26), Nuwan Thushara 4/18)
The Exciting Clash Between the Netherlands and South Africa:
In the evening, Sri Lanka South and the Netherlands faced each other on the big stage. The Netherlands batted first and scored 103/9 in their allotted 20 overs. Sybrand Engelbrecht was the top scorer for the Netherlands, making a patient 40 runs off 45 balls. Logan van Beek provided some support with a quick 23 runs off 22 balls, while Vikramjit Singh contributed 12 runs off 17 deliveries. Despite their efforts, the Netherlands struggled to build significant partnerships and needed help to accelerate the scoring rate. Their total of 103/9 set a modest target for their opponents.
In the second innings, South Africa successfully chased down the target set by the Netherlands. South Africa reached 106/6 in 18.5 overs to secure the victory. David Miller played a pivotal role in the chase, scoring an unbeaten 59 runs off 51 balls, anchoring the innings with his steady performance. Tristan Stubbs also contributed significantly with 33 runs off 37 deliveries, helping to stabilize the innings after early wickets. Heinrich Klaasen added a quick 4 runs off 7 balls towards the end. Despite some challenges, South Africa’s batting lineup managed to navigate the modest target of 104, ultimately winning the match by 4 wickets with 7 balls to spare.
Brief Score: South Africa 106/6 in 18.5 ovrs David Miller 59* (51), Tristan Stubbs 33 (37), Ottneil Baartman (4/11)
Netherlands: 103/9 in 20 ovrs (Sybrand Engelbrecht 40 (45), Logan ven Beek 23 (22), Vivian Kingma 2/12)
The Rivalry Excited the Fans:
In the last match of the day, Australia and England faced off in a thrilling encounter, showcasing their fierce rivalry. Batting first, Australia posted an impressive 201/7 in their 20 overs. David Warner led the charge with a blistering 39 off 16 balls, followed by captain Mitchell Marsh, who contributed 35 runs off 25 balls. Travis Head also played a crucial role, scoring 34 off 18 balls. The explosive batting display set a challenging target for England.
In the second innings, England struggled to chase down the target set by Australia. They managed to score 165/6 in their 20 overs. Captain and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler top-scored with 42 off 28 balls, providing a solid start. Philip Salt contributed a quick 37 off 23 balls, while Moeen Ali added a swift 25 off 15 balls. Despite their efforts, England fell short of the target, unable to match Australia’s dominant performance, resulting in a decisive win for Australia in this match.
Brief Score: Australia 201/7 in 20 overs (David Warner 39 (16), Mitchell Marsh (c) 35 (25), Pat Cummins 2/23)
England: 165/6 in 20 overs (Jos Buttler (c & wk) 42 (28), Philip Salt 37 (23), Chris Jordan 2/22)
Table of Most Runs in T20 World Cup 2024:
| Player | Team | Runs | Match | Highest score | Average |
| Rahmanullah Gurbaz | Afghanistan | 156 | 2 | 80 | 78.00 |
| Aaron Jones | USA | 141 | 2 | 94* | 141.00 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | Afghanistan | 114 | 2 | 70 | 57.00 |
| Nicholas Kirton | Canada | 100 | 2 | 51 | 50.00 |
| Andries Gous | USA | 100 | 2 | 65 | 50.00 |
| Marcus Stoinis | Australia | 97 | 2 | 67 | 97.00 |
| David Warner | Australia | 95 | 2 | 56 | 47.50 |
| Gerhard Erasmus | Namibia | 73 | 2 | 52 | 36.50 |
| Micheal Jones | Scotland | 71 | 2 | 45 | 71.00 |
| Shreyas Movva | Canada | 69 | 2 | 37 | 69.00 |
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