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Afghanistan have handed New Zealand a heavy defeat in their T20 World Cup opening match.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rashid Khan, Fazalhaq Farooqi and all combined with the bat and ball to get Afghanistan to a maiden T20I victory against New Zealand in Guyana.
Going into the game having played no-warmup matches was always going to leave New Zealand in a tough position, especially considering Afghanistan’s 125 over Uganda the other day.
Sloppy fielding and bowling early on allowed Gurbaz and fellow opener Ibrahim Zadran to put on their second consecutive T20I 100-run partnership at the top. There were some early chances for the Kiwis but they couldn’t capitalise on them.
Sitting at just over five and a half runs and over after ten, it was looking like Afghanistan may have posted a score around the 130-140 run mark, but Gurbaz and Zadran then decided it was time to go big.
Michael Bracewell found himself being sent for three sixes off his eleventh over with both Gurbaz and Zadran sending the ball over the rope. Lockie Ferguson then too found his second ball of the twelfth over being sent for six, and Afghanistan’s run rate skyrocketing.
The bombs kept on coming with Trent Boult too being carted by Gurbaz, and a couple of balls later had his 50 brought up.
New Zealand finally broke the stand between Zadran and Gurbaz, with Matt Henry getting a bottom edge of Zadran to go onto the stumps and out for 44.
Azmatullah Omarzai came to the middle and joined Gurbaz. A couple of sixes off Henry’s final over led to him wanting one more six but was caught at deep cover point by Ferguson, Afghanistan now two down and 127 runs on the board.
Ferguson joined in on the wicket taking action getting Mohammad Nabi to spoon one straight up and Kane Williamson taking the catch at mid-off for a golden duck.
Williamson decided to give Mitchell the penultimate over and Gurbaz helped himself to a couple more sixes to move Afghanistan to 156/3 with one more over left.
The last over was very successfully bowled by Boult for the Kiwis with Rashid ran out for six, Gurbaz clean bowled for 80 and Gulbadin Naib caught in the deep by Glenn Phillips to give Afghanistan a total of 159/6 from their 20 overs.
Finn Allen and Devon Conway opened with the bat, but it only lasted one ball as his leg stump was sent flying by Farooqi. He then had a second in the third over with Conway trying to chip it over short cover but instead the hands of Zadran for eight.
Williamson had an LBW shout against him that went upstairs but was umpire's call so luckily survived.
Mitchell however, who had joined Williamson in the middle fell to Farooqi for five and grabbed his third wicket of the innings.
Afghanistan captain Rashid introduced himself to the bowling crease and struck first ball as Williamson edged to Zadran at slip for nine, leaving Aotearoa at 33/4.
Phillips and Mark Chapman were able to get a partnership building, but after adding ten runs together, Rashid had his second of the game with Chapman being bowled for four. Bracewell came to the middle and was trapped leg before the next ball, New Zealand in real trouble at 43/6.
Trouble kept coming for the Kiwis with Phillips (18) and Mitchell Santner (4) both falling to Nabi in the space of a couple of overs, having his four overs just go for 16 runs.
Ferguson (2) fell to Rashid and gave him a fourth wicket of the game to go for just 17 runs from his four overs.
Henry and Boult put on a last-wicket stand of 12 runs but it was never going to be enough as Farooqi took his fourth wicket and gave Afghanistan an 84-run win.
New Zealand will play the West Indies on Thursday, in what is likely going to be a must-win clash whilst Afghanistan face Papua New Guinea on Friday.
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