* Ramnanullah Gurbaz registers second consecutive fifty in T20 World Cup 2024 ( Match 14)
By Dwayne Ferreira
Afghanistan produced a commanding performance to secure a historic victory over New Zealand in the T20 World Cup, marking their first-ever win against the Kiwis in this format. The match, characterized by Afghanistan’s exceptional bowling and New Zealand’s batting collapse, ended in a convincing 84-run win for the Afghan side.
New Zealand’s innings got off to a disastrous start, with Afghanistan’s Farooqi striking early to dismiss Allen off the very first ball. Conway’s dismissal soon after left New Zealand reeling at 28-3. Rashid Khan then took charge, bamboozling the Kiwi batters and claiming a crucial four-for, including the scalps of Williamson, Chapman, and Bracewell. Nabi also chipped in, dismissing Santner, before Farooqi returned to clean up the tail and seal Afghanistan’s dominance.
Despite a shaky start in their own innings, Afghanistan managed to post a challenging total of 159, largely thanks to Gurbaz’s impressive 80 off 56 balls. New Zealand, on the other hand, struggled to find their footing, with only two batters reaching double digits and extras being the third-highest contributor to their total.
Cheif Scores :-
Afghanistan – 159 for 6 in 20 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 80, Ibrahim Zadran 44, Azmatullah Omarzai 22, Trent Boult 2 for 22, Matt Henry 2 for 37)
New Zealand – 75 for 10 in 15.2 overs (Glenn Phillips 18, Matt Henry 12, Kane Williamson 9, Fazalhaq Farooqi 4 for 17, Rashid Khan 4 for 17, Mohammad Nabi 2 for 16)
Player of the Match – Rahmanullah Gurbaz
