Sports Reporter :
War-torn Afghanistan stunned defending champions England by defeating 69 runs in their match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup at Arun Jatley Stadium in Delhi, the capital city of India on Sunday.
Sent into bat first, Afghanistan piled up a fighting total of 284 off 49.5 overs and then all out England for 215 runs in 40.3 overs.
Afghanistan had a superb start with two openers Rahmatullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran scored together 114 runs in the opening stand before Zadran (28) was caught at the short mid wicket by Joe Root off Adil Rashid.
Rahmatullah Gurbaz was run out by a joint-effort of substitute DJ Willey and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler when Afghanistan’s score was 122 for the loss of three wickets.
Gurbaz hammered a stormy 80. His 57-ball innings had four sixes and eight fours.
Fourth-down Ikram Alikhil and sixth-down Rashid Khan contributed together 43 runs for the seventh wicket partnership before Rashid Khan (23) was caught at the long-on by Joe Root off Adil Rashid when the war-torn countries total was 233 for the loss of seven wickets.
After Rashid Khan’s dismissal, Alikhil and Mujeeb Ur Rahman added together 44 runs in the eight-wicket stand before Alikhil was caught by Sam Curran off Reece Topley when Afghans’ score was 277 for the loss of eight wickets.
Alikhil hit a fine 58. He hit two fours and three sixes in his 66-ball innings.
Adil Rashid captured three wickets in the space of 42 runs, while Mark Wood bagged two wickets at the cost of 50 runs.
Joe Root, Liam Livingstone and Reece Topley took one wicket apiece.
England lost their early two wickets for 33 runs.
Opener Dawid Malan mended the innings adding together 35 runs for the third wicket partnership before Malan (32) was caught at the short extra cover by Ibrahim Zadran off Mohammad Nabi when England’s total was 68 for the loss of three wickets.
Second-down Harry Brook was caught behind by wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil off Mujeeb Ur Rahman when the defending champions score was 169 for the loss of eight wickets.
Brook stuck a terrific 66.
His 61-ball innings was laced with seven fours and a sixer.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan grabbed three wickets each instead of 51 runs and 37 runs respectively.
Mohammad Nabi bagged two wickets instead of 16 runs.
Naveen-ul-Huq and Fazalhaq Farooqi took one wicket each.
