Curran’s five-wicket haul, England beat Afghanistan by five wickets

England’s team managed to register a five-wicket win over Afghanistan in the Super 12 match of the T20 World Cup here on Saturday, despite a not-so-great batting performance from Sam Curran (5/10) and excellent fielding. doing. After captain Jos Buttler won the toss and elected to bowl, England took three brilliant catches apart from five wickets from left-arm medium bowling all-rounder Curran.

Due to this, Afghanistan was reduced to 112 runs. Ibrahim Zadran (32 runs) and Usman Ghani (30 runs) contributed for Afghanistan. Chasing this target, England had lost five wickets but for the team Liam Livingstone (29 runs in 21 balls) remained at the crease till the end. England won with 11 balls to spare. Butler fell victim to Fazlhaq Farooqui after scoring 18 off 18 balls.

But Afghanistan’s score was not big enough that it would have troubled the batting depth England line-up. Ben Stokes (02) was also dismissed cheaply as England made 65 for the loss of three wickets in the 11th over. In the 16th over, the score was reduced to 97 for five when Rashid Khan caught Harry Brooke (07) at the hands of Ibrahim Zadran. Optus was expected to see a good fight with bat and ball on the lively pitch.

But Afghanistan’s team could only score 35 runs in the powerplay after Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed in the second over. Gurbaz, who was declared fit for the opening match of the team’s Super 12, hit Chris Woakes for a fine-leg six but Mark Wood’s 146 kmph delivery ended his innings. The ball took the edge of Gurbaz’s bat and caught in the hands of wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

Wood welcomed Ibrahim Zadran with a delivery of 154 kmph. But the next ball was a full toss which this batsman took towards the covers. Hazratullah Zazai hits a boundary at cover point off Woakes. Wood continued to bowl tight at the other end but Zadran was also engaged, he hit a six at fine leg off the fast bowler’s short ball.

Afghanistan were hoping to increase the run rate in the middle overs, but Liam Livingstone ran from deep to end Zazai’s innings. Seven overs later, Afghanistan’s score was 37 for two. Sam Curran came to bowl and Usman Ghani hit him for a four. England bowled tightly in the middle over and Curran took the wicket of Jadran, who was caught by Moeen Ali at backward point.

Najibullah Zadran hit a six off Adil Rashid to make 13 runs in the 13th over, but Wood’s arrival reduced the run rate. Stokes ends Najibullah’s innings. Captain Mohammad Nabi was made his victim by Wood, whose butler took a brilliant catch. The team then continued to lose wickets.