Farooqi, Ghazanfar bundle out South Africa for 106

South Africa 106 (Mulder 52, Farooqi 4-35, Ghazanfar 3-20, Rashid 2-30) vs Afghanistan

South Africa were stunned in Sharjah and bowled out for the lowest total a top ten-ranked team has scored against Afghanistan. Left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi and 18-year-old offspinner AM Ghazanfar shared six wickets between them in the powerplay, and there was a run-out which gave South Africa their worst start in the first ten overs of an ODI: 36 for 7.

From there, it took a 39-run eighth-wicket stand between Wiaan Mulder and Bjorn Fortuin to ensure South Africa escaped being bowled out for their lowest ODI total – 69. Mulder scored his first ODI half-century and South Africa were bowled out for 106 inside 34 overs.

The Sharjah strip is dry and slow, with some turn, but far from menacing and it was the skill of the Afghan bowlers combined with technical blunders and poor judgement from South Africa that resulted in the under-par score.

The slide started when Farooqi, whose first 11 deliveries cost eight runs, decided to change his angle from over to around the wicket. The final ball of his second over was well wide of Reeza Hendricks, on about the seventh stump, but the South African opener reached for it anyway and played on. At the end of Farooqi’s next over, Aiden Markram went exactly the same way. Farooqi took pace off and Markram hung his bat out, only to inside-edge onto his stumps. In his next over, Farooqi picked up his third when Tony de Zorzi top-edged a pull to Hashmatullah Shahidi at mid-wicket.

At the other end, Ghazanfar, playing in just his third ODI, took the other new ball and only had to wait until the first ball of his fourth over for success. Tristan Stubbs, his own ODI career only two ODI matches old, tried to push Ghazanfar to mid-off but edged to slip instead. Five balls later, Jason Smith was beaten by turn as he tried to defend and was bowled. South Africa’s difficulties reading Ghazanfar continued when Kyle Verreynne did not anticipate the turn back into him and was hit on the pad. He reviewed the on-field umpire’s out decision, but it was upheld on umpire’s call.

Andile Phehlukwayo, saw off four Ghazanfar balls and survived an lbw appeal, but then wandered out of his crease while the ball was still alive and was run out by a game-aware Gulbadin Naib. And that is how South Africa got to 36 for 7.

Rashid Khan was brought on immediately after the powerplay and though he had a wicket with his second ball when Mulder reverse-swept and there was an appeal for caught behind, Ultra-Edge did not pick anything up. Fortuin could have been run out in Rashid’s next over, but Nangeyalia Kharote’s throw from backward point missed. Fortuin hit back with two boundaries off Rashid’s third over as South Africa limped towards 50. They got there in the 16th over.

Mulder continued taking on the spinners but Fortuin’s attempts to continue doing so undid him. He was drawn forward into a drive by Rashid, missed and was bowled.

The first six of the innings came in the 28th over when Mulder hit Rashid for six over long-off. He brought up South Africa’s hundred with a pull over midwicket and his half-century off 80 balls but became Farooqi’s final victim when he was done for pace and bowled. In the next over, Rashid ended the innings when he had Lungi Ngidi trapped in front off a googly.

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and women’s cricket