Afghanistan’s bowlers put up a spectacular show at the Providence Stadium on Saturday by dominating the batsmen with a verdant surface that provided adequate pace and spin for the cricket ball. Their outstanding performance broke the New Zealand batting order and bled them out to just 75 in 15 overs. It takes it to complete two overs that helped to win the T20 World Cup match by 84 runs with the help of Gurbaz and Rashid Khan. This comprehensive victory was Afghanistan’s second successive win by Bundles in the tournament after a similar 125-run victory against the Ugandans at the same ground the previous week. This win could be crucial in enabling Afghanistan to consolidate a position on top of Group C.
The match started with New Zealand choosing to bat first, and this appeared to be a blunder as Afghanistan defied the odds with its powerful performance. Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz, scoring 80 runs, and Ibrahim Zadran, scoring 44 runs, did not miss the chance and forged an unbeaten first-wicket partnership, adding 103 runs in 14.3 overs.
Kiwi left-arm pacer Trent Boult, who had been partnered by Lockie Ferguson in the prior series. Although he fell on some of these, the first hints of Zadrau’s prowess with those streaky shots were seen as he carted Boult to all corners of the ground by striking three consecutive boundaries in his first over. By the time New Zealand had breached the Afghanistan batting lineup early into the second session, the Kiwis could have felt a glimmer of hope going into the dinner interval at 55 for 2. But the unpredictability struck back as the Afghan openers launched a power surge. Bracewell hit two sixes off Zadran, getting some blood on the wicket, and Gurbaz reciprocated the same once Boult took his second round.
New Zealand got a breakthrough in the mini-session when Matt Henry bowled Zadrau. Henry returned to the attack soon after this perplexing banter and had Azmatullah Omarzai caught by Lockie Ferguson. Boult came back to make an impressive catalog of the remaining wickets as he bowled two overs and produced a run-out in the last over.
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