T20 World Cup 2024 NZ vs AFG Highlights:
Afghanistan improved their Super Eight chances with another dominant win, this time defeating New Zealand by 84 runs in Providence. After defeating Uganda by 125 runs in their first match, they presently lead Group C with a net run rate of 5.225.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran opened the innings for Afghanistan, scoring 103 runs in 14.3 overs. It followed the partnership's 154 against Uganda, making them the first opening tandem in T20 World Cup history to score two consecutive centuries.
Afghanistan had a split inning. They scored 55 for no loss in the first ten overs and 104 for six in the final ten, with Gurbaz scoring 80 off 56 balls. New Zealand, which had chosen not to play any warm-up games, appeared rusty as their fielders lost catches and squandered run-out opportunities.
With the pitch supporting both seamers and spinners, chasing 160 would be difficult. But few expected New Zealand to implode in the way it did.
Fazalhaq Farooqi took three wickets in the powerplay, followed by three from Rashid Khan. Both finished with identical scores of 4 for 17, as New Zealand were bowled out for 75 in 15.2 overs. Glenn Phillips and Matt Henry were the only New Zealand hitters to hit double digits.
T20 World Cup 2024 NZ vs AFG Highlights: Afghanistan's uncertain start
Trent Boult found some swing in the first over, but Gurbaz and Ibrahim demonstrated their purpose by hitting three fours off Henry from the opposite end.
Second fifty in #T20WorldCup 2024 🔥
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) June 8, 2024
Another @MyIndusIndBank milestone moment for Rahmanullah Gurbaz. pic.twitter.com/34PrZ7TQoo
Both batters had luck on their side. Gurbaz was given a second chance when he skipped down the track to Santner and missed the ball, which went on to brush the leg stump but the bails did not move. In the next over, Finn Allen dropped Ibrahim off Henry at the deep-square-leg boundary.
That was not all. Gurbaz got another reprieve after being involved in a miscommunication with Ibrahim. Having taken off for a single, Gurbaz had to retrace his steps and would have been run out had Conway not fumbled the throw.
Two balls later, New Zealand appeared to have achieved success when Santner pinged Ibrahim's pads, and umpire Kumar Dharmasena declared it LBW. However, the batter had the call overturned on review since the ball was heading down the leg side. Immediately after that, Ibrahim hit Santner for an inside-out four as Afghanistan ended the powerplay on 44 for no loss.
T20 World Cup 2024 NZ vs AFG Highlights: Bracewell, Ferguson applied the brakes
New Zealand defied conventional wisdom by not bowling an offspinner with two right-handed hitters at the crease, and Michael Bracewell repaid that faith by giving only six runs in his first two overs.
Lockie Ferguson was even more thrifty, going for five in the first two. He may have had Ibrahim off a slower full toss, but a leaping Kane Williamson failed to land a one-handed stunner at midfield. That meant that, while Afghanistan escaped unhurt, they had only 55 runs on the board after 10 overs.
T20 World Cup 2024 NZ vs AFG Highlights: The acceleration
Afghanistan did not hit a single six in the first ten overs, but there were five in the following three, including three in a Bracewell over. Gurbaz and Bracewell increased the pace. In the 14th over, the two helped the team pass 100. New Zealand finally got through when Ibrahim bottom-edged a short ball from Henry onto his stumps after being smacked on the grille by the previous delivery.
Azmatullah Omarzai promoted to No. 3, contributed 22 off 13, including two sixes in three balls off Henry. Mohammad Nabi dropped for a first-ball duck, but Gurbaz kept hitting the boundaries at regular intervals. However, Boult's three-wicket, three-run last over kept Afghanistan on 159.
T20 World Cup 2024 NZ vs AFG Highlights: Farooqi rocked New Zealand early
Farooqi provided Afghanistan with an excellent start with the ball. With his first delivery of the innings, he uprooted Finn Allen's leg stump as the ball moved in late. Conway pushed at the seamer's next over, which appeared to come slower off the surface and was caught at extra cover.
Fazalhaq Farooqi produced a devastating spell of fast bowling against New Zealand 🔥#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/zIIrsga55A
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) June 8, 2024
The choice to allow Farooqi a third over in the powerplay yielded additional dividends. This time, he bowled around the wicket to Daryl Mitchell with a length delivery that just straightened and took the outside edge. Gurbaz made a regulation catch to finish the dismissal, leaving New Zealand 28 for 3.
It could have been worse for New Zealand. In between, Naveen-ul-Haq had rapped Kane Williamson's front pad after the batter had moved across to play a delivery. Afghanistan sent it upstairs for an LBW review but the umpire's call saved the New Zealand captain.
Rashid joins the party
Blue domination 🔵🔝
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) June 8, 2024
Play the official #T20WorldCup Fantasy for the chance to win exclusive prizes 🏆
Build your team now 👉 https://t.co/YjKdaqRGEs pic.twitter.com/lvvKDZ619F
Afghanistan didn't have to wait long for Williamson's dismissal. Rashid came on after the powerplay and struck right away, as Williamson guided one to the first slip. But Rashid was only warming up. In his next over, he bowled Mark Chapman and Bracewell with successive deliveries, leaving New Zealand at 43 for 6. Chapman went for a pull and was bowled; Bracewell was late in bringing his bat down and was LBW.
Phillips represented New Zealand's last hope. He did smash a couple of boundaries but was quickly caught at long-on when attempting to take on Nabi. That put an end to New Zealand's aspirations for a comeback.
