New Zealand vs Afghanistan ODI World Cup Highlights: New Zealand Win by 149 Runs, Go Top
New Zealand put on a dominant display to thrash Afghanistan by 149 runs in their ODI World Cup match on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai. The win took New Zealand to the top of the table with four wins from five matches.
New Zealand batted first and posted a total of 288 for 6, thanks to half-centuries from Will Young (54), Tom Latham (68), and Glenn Phillips (71). In their pursuit, Afghanistan began reasonably well but then continuously lost wickets, leading to their dismissal for 139 in 34.4 overs.
New Zealand’s batting innings:
New Zealand lost early wickets after opting to bat first, but Young and Latham steadied the ship with a 100-run partnership for the second wicket. Young scored 54 runs, but Latham and Phillips continued to strengthen the groundwork set by the openers.
Latham was dismissed for 68, but Phillips kept the runs flowing and was eventually dismissed for 71. Mitchell Santner (31*) and Michael Bracewell (22*) added some useful runs towards the end to help New Zealand post a total of 288 for 6.
Afghanistan’s batting innings:
Afghanistan got off to a decent start in their chase, with openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (32) and Ibrahim Zadran (28) putting on a 60-run partnership for the first wicket. However, they dismissed Gurbaz for 32, and they dismissed Zadran for 28 shortly after.
Afghanistan lost wickets at regular intervals after the departure of their openers, and they were eventually bowled out for 139 in just 34.4 overs. Santner was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers, picking up four wickets for 29 runs.
Conclusion:
New Zealand put on a dominant display to thrash Afghanistan by 149 runs in their ODI World Cup match. The win took New Zealand to the top of the table with four wins from five matches. Afghanistan, on the other hand, will need to bounce back quickly if they want to stay in contention for the semi-finals.