New Zealand set 160 to win after Afghan top order delivers

Afghanistan’s top-order pounced on a lethargic New Zealand to post 159 for six batting first in their Group C match of the T20 World Cup at the Guyana National Stadium on Friday.

Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz led the way for the Afghans with a top score of 80 off 56 balls (five fours, five sixes). He fell in the final over to a classic off-stump yorker from Trent Boult, one of the few moments in the innings that the New Zealanders were at their best.

Boult redeemed himself in that 20th over to finish with the best figures of two for 22.

Fresh from a 150-run opening first-wicket stand in their opening-match demolition of newcomers Uganda four days earlier at the same venue, Gurbaz and partner Ibrahim Zadran (44 off 41 balls) capitalised on the Black Caps’ surprising sloppiness after skipper Kane Williamson opted to field first.

Missed chances and off-target bowling helped Gurbaz and Zadran post 103 by the 15th over when Gurbaz played on to Matt Henry.

New Zealand have had to wait almost an entire week since the start of the tournament to play their first match, and with no warm-up fixture in the interim, the 2021 finalists looked some way short of their best form for such an important game.

They opted to omit rising star Rachin Ravindra from the final 11 in preference for Mark Chapman in the middle-order while Afghanistan were forced to make one change from their opening match as a lingering hand injury meant Mujeeb ur Rahman was replaced by fellow spinner Noor Ahmad.

str/sev