In a gripping match at the ICC World Cup, New Zealand delivered a ruthless performance against Afghanistan on Wednesday. They capitalized on Afghanistan’s disastrous fielding display, securing a resounding 149-run victory. Key players like Glenn Phillips, Tom Latham, and Will Young all reached half-centuries and capitalized on several dropped catches, enabling New Zealand to post a competitive total of 288/6.
The man of the match, Glenn Phillips, who contributed 71 runs, expressed his perspective: “I thought 250 was par. We are in an environment where we keep working for each other and play as a team.”
New Zealand’s bowlers were equally instrumental in their triumph. Lockie Ferguson claimed 3/19, while spinner Mitchell Santner took 3/39. Trent Boult, the veteran seamer, also made a valuable contribution with 2/18. Afghanistan, who had previously shocked defending champions England, struggled, managing just 139 runs in 34.4 overs.
Captain Hashmatullah Shahidi expressed his disappointment: “We are very disappointed because at this level you have to take those kind of catches. End of the day, those catches hurt us.”
Afghanistan had hoped for a repeat of Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s heroics against England, but he was dismissed for just 11 runs by Matt Henry. The New Zealand bowlers continued to apply pressure, with Boult accounting for Ibrahim Zadran (14) and Azmatullah Omarzai (27), and Rachin Ravindra dismissing Rahmat Shah, Afghanistan’s top scorer with 36.
Santner reached a significant milestone, completing 100 wickets in his 98th ODI when he dismissed Mohammad Nabi for seven. New Zealand’s innings saw Phillips scoring 71 off 80 balls, Latham contributing 68 off 74, and opener Young adding 54 off 64 balls to rescue their team from a precarious 110/4.
Mark Chapman’s quickfire 25 off 12 balls in the final five overs helped New Zealand reach 288. Afghanistan’s fielding woes continued with five dropped catches. Young, Shah, and Latham were beneficiaries of these missed opportunities.
New Zealand’s innings started slowly, reaching 30 in the seventh over when Mujeeb Ur Rahman removed Devon Conway for 20. Young, who filled in for the injured Kane Williamson, formed a crucial 79-run partnership for the second wicket with Ravindra, who scored a valuable 41-ball 32. However, Afghanistan struck back with three quick wickets in just nine balls, as pacer Omarzai dismissed Ravindra and Young in the same over.
Phillips, who hit four sixes and as many boundaries, teamed up with stand-in skipper Latham to build a solid fifth-wicket partnership of 144, reviving New Zealand’s innings. Latham contributed with three boundaries and two sixes, but both he and Phillips fell quickly, leaving Chapman to provide late impetus.
In summary, New Zealand’s comprehensive victory, with standout performances by both their batsmen and bowlers, has strengthened their position in the tournament, securing their fourth win in as many games and keeping them on course for the semifinals. Afghanistan, on the other hand, now has one win and three defeats from their four matches.
Brief Scores:
New Zealand 288/6 in 50 overs (Glenn Phillips 71, Tom Latham 68, Will Young 54; Naveen-ul-Haq 2/48, Azmatullah Omarzai 2/56) defeated Afghanistan 139 in 34.4 overs (Rahmat Shah 36; Lockie Ferguson 3/19, Mitchell Santner 3/39).
Player of the Match: Glenn Phillips.
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