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New Zealand continued their unbeaten run in the ODI World Cup 2023 as they annihilated Afghanistan by 149 runs to clinch their consecutive fourth victory in the tournament at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday, October 18.
Riding on brilliant fifties from Will Young, Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips, New Zealand posted a competitive total of 288/6. In reply, Afghanistan batters were of no match to New Zealand as they kept losing wickets in regular interval before perishing on a paltry score of 139, thanks to Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson's three-fers. With this win New Zealand have surged to top of the World Cup points table toppling Team India.
In under 96 hours following their victory over the reigning World Champions, England, Afghanistan received a harsh reality check from a dominant New Zealand side.
During their chase, Afghanistan encountered early setbacks, finding themselves at 43/3 by the 14th over. The third wicket to fall was their skipper, Hashmatullah Shahidi, who managed only eight runs before Lockie Ferguson dismissed him. Subsequently, Rahmat Shah (36) and Azmatullah Omarzai (27) formed a partnership that briefly steadied the Afghan chase, adding 54 runs for the fourth wicket. However, New Zealand maintained control throughout, limiting their scoring opportunities as the ball began to turn.
In the 26th over, pacer Trent Boult succeeded in breaking the partnership by dismissing Omarzai. From that point onward, it was all over for Afghanistan as New Zealand bowlers took in clutch to hand their opponent a heavy defeat.
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Earlier, New Zealand showcased resilience by bouncing back from a mid-innings slump to set an impressive target of 289 against a determined Afghanistan team.
Will Young, Tom Latham, and Glenn Phillips played pivotal roles in New Zealand's innings, all securing half-centuries that underpinned the Black Caps' competitive total.
The dynamic partnership between Phillips and Latham, accounting for a substantial 144 runs for the fifth wicket, emerged as a potential game-changer. This alliance significantly bolstered New Zealand's position after a shaky start.
The early stages of the Kiwi innings saw the loss of opener Devon Conway (20) in the seventh over, courtesy of spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman's precise delivery that trapped him leg-before.
However, the pairing of opener Will Young and the in-form Rachin Ravindra (32) took charge and constructed a convincing 79-run partnership for the second wicket. Although a stumping opportunity for Ravindra was missed, the Black Caps' batters exerted pressure on spinner Mohammad Nabi, launching frequent attacks on his bowling.
The partnership was eventually broken in the 21st over when pacer Azmatullah Omarzai dismissed Ravindra, clean-bowling him with a straight delivery that the batter aimed to swing towards mid-wicket but missed entirely in the process.
Following this breakthrough, New Zealand experienced a brief collapse, losing both Will Young and Daryl Mitchell (1) by the 22nd over to Omarzai and spinner Rashid Khan, respectively. At this juncture, the scorecard displayed 110/4.
Young, who had already notched up his seventh ODI half-century, had the fortune of surviving an early scare when he was dropped in the second over by Rahmat Shah off Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Despite the setback, New Zealand managed to recover steadily, with skipper Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips forming another substantial partnership that set the tone for the latter part of the innings. Both batsmen achieved their 23rd and third ODI half-centuries, respectively, although the Afghan bowlers succeeded in containing the Kiwi scoring rate.
As Latham and Phillips escalated the scoring rate beyond the 45th over, their partnership was ultimately disrupted by pacer Naveen-ul-Haq in the 48th over, with both well-set batters departing in the same over.
Nonetheless, there was still work to be done, and Mark Chapman (25 not out) stepped up with some late fireworks, including two fours and a six, ensuring that the Black Caps surpassed the 275-run mark on a challenging pitch.
For Afghanistan, Azmatullah Omarzai and Naveen-ul-Haq emerged as the standout bowlers, claiming a couple of wickets each. Rashid Khan's economic bowling spell further contributed to New Zealand's challenge. However, Afghanistan's fielding woes were evident, with a total of five dropped catches, making the task even more challenging, especially for Rashid Khan, who saw a couple of key opportunities slip through.
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