New Zealand's Trent Boult, without cap, celebrates after dismissing Afghanistan's Ibrahim Zadran during the ICC Cricket World Cup match between Afghanistan and New Zealand in Chennai, India, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)New Zealand vs Afghanistan World Cup 2023 Highlights: The Kiwi bowlers led by Lockie Ferguson and Mitchell Santner who took 3 wickets apiece maintained their perfect start to the tournament as they beat Afghanistan by 149 runs. Rahmat Shah top scored for the Asian nation with 36 as Afghanistan collapsed under pressure, failing to maintain the momentum which they had gained after upsetting England in their last match.
Earlier, New Zealand scored 288/6 in 50 overs courtesy of fifties from Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips. A late surge from Mark Chapman took the Kiwis past the par-score to a challenging total of 288.
Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and elected to field against New Zealand in their World Cup match on Wednesday. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson misses out due to a fractured thumb he sustained in the match against Bangladesh last week, making way for Will Young.
Scroll down to follow highlights from the NZ vs AFG game
New Zealand
288/6 (50.0)Afghanistan
139 (34.4)New Zealand beat Afghanistan by 149 runs
And that's the last wicket gone with Santner picking up 3 wickets. Fazalhaq Farooqi is the last man to go after being caught by Mitchell and NZ win by 149 runs. They maintain their perfect record.
Santner in the attack and a reverse sweep by Naveen goes very, very wrong. Chapman takes a comfortable catch and AFG are in the danger of getting bowled out cheaply.
And that's another one as Ferguson strikes in the same over. Mujeeb goes after a short ball, has no control over it and it's dafely held Will Young at the longer side of the ground.
Ferguson continues and Rashid swings and misses the first delivery. Ducks underneath the second ball as the NZ bowlers pile on the pressure. Goes after the 3rd ball and he has holed out to Mitchell. Another one bites the dust.
Santner in to bowl the next and Ikram Alikhil defends the first two balls. The run rate is south of the 9-run mark. A single next and Rashid is on strike and he has hit the next ball straight down the ground for a six!! Goes again but just the single t end this one.
Ferguson will continue and Rashid ducks under the first delivery before defending the next. Nothing off the next couple of deliveries as Rashid is cautious in the early going. Over ends with a maiden.
Santner returns to the attack as well and starts with a ripper to beat Nabi. The next one gets an edge and onto the pads before he places the next one to third man for a boundary., AND HE CLEANED HIM UP!! Went right through him and rattles his stumps.
On to the 30th over and Ferguson is brought back into the attack. Starts with a dot as Nabi lets it go. Takes a single off the next ball and Ikram Alikhil is on strike. Takes 2 off the third before picking up a boundary as well. He looks in fine touch.
Ravindra in the next over and there's a review for a a catch as Rahmat plays it straight to the bowler. The umpire isn't sure if that was a bumped catch so he sends it upstairs. Looks pretty tight, to be honest. The ball ahs bounced first so it's a fair catch. Another down for AFG
Boult to bowl the next over and Rahmat goes off strike with a single. Nothing off the next 3 balls as Boult pegs AFG back. Just 1 from this one.
Ravindra continues and Rahmat with 2 to bring up AFG's 100 runs. Another single as he goes off strike and the relatively fresh Ikram Alikhil will face the spinner. The last ball is placed by Ikram Alikhil for four. Nicely done.
Boult brought back in the attack now and starts with a dot before Rahmat places the next delivery foe 2 runs. And he gets the breakthrough. How often does he do that? Omarzai goes after a short ball, gets a nick and Latham with the catch.
Ravindra in to bowl the next and Omarzai with a big hit but it does not cross the boundary. Just 2 from this one. After 2 quick singles, he smashes the 4th for a much-needed boundary. Ends the over with a top edged four. Good over for the AFG batters.
Afghanistan really need to get a move on and go after the two spinners before they run out of time. Phillips again and gives away 1 from the first 2 balls. The third is inside edged off the pads but yields no run. The next two are singles as the boundaries have dried up. 3 from this one.
Ravindra in to bwol the next one and Omarzai gets and edge and it's gone towards third man to get 2 as the fielder saves a certain boundary. The pressure is mounting. 5 from this over.
Glenn Phillips continues and Omarzai with a single. The next two balls are dots while the next one is a single by Rahmat. Over ends with 3 more added to the board as the run rate slowly creeps up.
Rachin Ravindra has been brought into the attack now and Omarzai with a straight stroke to get a single. Rahmat returns the favour with another. Looks like the batters are keen to go after the youngster but can't seem to get him away. That's about it from this one. Just 3 from it.
Glenn Phillips introduced in the attack now and after a dot, Rahmat gets the second away for 2 runs. Great fielding in the deep to keep it at 2 instead of a boundary. 7 from this one.
Santner in the atatck now and starts with 3 dots with Omarzai struggling to get away at the moment. Finally a single off the fourt, a favour which is returned by Rahmat in the last ball. 2 from this over.
Lockie back in the attack and starts with a wide. Too short for the umpire's liking, that one. Nothing off the next two deliveries as he pegs Rahmat back. He finally takes a single to put Omarzai on strike. 3 from this one.
Santner in to bowl the next over and Omarzai with a single to get off the blocks in this over. After a couple of dots, Rahmat with a boundary. AFG needed that. 6 from this one. We go to drinks
Ferguson will continue and starts with back to back dot balls as Rahmat struggles to get off the mark. The next two deliveries fail to keep the scoreboard ticking before Rahmat takes 2 to bring up AFG's 50.
Santner in the attack again and gives away 3 from the first 3 balls as the Kiwis mount the pressure on Afghanistan. Just 5 from this over ultimately.
Ferguson next and Rahmat tries a single but is sent back by the AFG captain. Defends the next two deliveries before pulling the 4th for a single. What a catch!!! Santner with a one handed beauty. Short ball was hit up into the night sky and the Kiwi player has pulled off an absolute stunner!!! Shahidi gone
Santner continues and Rahamat on strike. Starts with a dot while the batter pushes the next one for a single. Lovely ball, loops dopwn and amost gets through. 3 from this over ultimately.
Lockie Ferguson in the attack next and NZ will be hoping that he can provide a breakthrough. Shahidi with a straight bat, past the bowler but a fielder has it. Defends the next one to keep it at 0 off the over. Takes a single next and Rahmat on strike. 2 from this one.
Santner in the attack now and Rahmat drives the first delivery to deep point for 2 runs. Finally a couple of runs after 3 maidens. Rahmat with a single again to give the strike to captain Shahidi who finally breaks his shackles to smash the bowler for a boundary. 9 from this one.
Matt Henry to bowl the last over of the first powerplay. Shahidi on strike and he navigates the first two balls for dots. The next two yields no runs as well as the AFG innings has screeched to a halt. 3rd maiden on the bounce.
Boult in to bowl the next over and almost another wicket. The ball is over the bowler's head and he can't reach it. It had hit Rahmat's helmet as well. He's fine, declares the physio after a concussion check. Nothing from this over so far as well. And this one is also a maiden.
Henry continues his good spell and starts this over off with a dot ball. The next one beats Shahidi as he is rooted on the spot with a defensive stance. The next two deliveries are dot as well as the AFG skipper struggles to get off the mark in this over. Ends as a maiden.
One brings two for New Zealand as Zadran gets a leading edge and gives away the catch to Santner. Boult in on the act now. AFG already in a bit of trouble.
Henry again and Gurbaz gets an edge off his gloves which falls just short of the slip fielder. The next one is a more assured shot which is thumped clean out of the ground for a huge six!! Takes a quick single next and Zadran is back on strike who returns the favour in the very next ball. AND BOWLED!!!! Beautiful delivery, through the gates and shatters Gurbaz's stumps.
Boult in to bowl the 5th and Zadean gets a lucky edge which runs away past the keeper for a four. That could have gone anywhere. The third one is placed for 2 more as the AFG batters keep the scoreboard ticking. 6 from this one.
Henry in to bowl the next over and zadean has smashed him for the first boundary of the innings. He has absolutely nailed it. Just 5 from this over though.
Boult continues and starts with 2 dots as Gurbaz opts to defend. Takes a single next to put Zadran on strike who readily returns the favour. Just 2 from this one.
Matt Henry will bowl the second over and after two singles, Henry with a huge shout for an LBW. The onfield umpire says no and NZ won't review. It was looking to go past the leg stump anyway, so good decision.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran will open for Afghanistan while trent Boult will begin the attack. New Zealand with an early review. But it stays with the onfield umpire's decision. The Kiwis lose an early review.
Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran are at the crease. Gurbaz is on strike. Boult will open the attack and HERE WE GO !
New Zealand finished on a high with the penultimate over fetching 20 runs. Mark Chapman has done most of the damage as he took on Azmatullah and whacked him at will. At one stage, it seemed like NZ would have struggled to go past 250, but now they have ended with what many would say - a match-winning total.
Back-to-back wickets for Naveen and the well-set batters Philips & Latham are gone. New Zealand was in dire need of this partnership. They came in when NZ were 110-4. Had there not been dropped catches, it could have been a lot different for Afghanistan.
0 6 6 0 4 2 = 18 from the over by Azmatullah! Expensive over by Afghanistan as Latham leads from the front and smashes the bowler to all parts of the ground and that includes two sixes and a boundary
Naveen-ul-Haq is back into the attack and he is a bit wayward and Latham makes full use of it as he pulls the shorter one into the empty space behind the square region for a much-needed four. And he reaches his fifty off the next ball.
Fazalhaq Farooqi in the attack now and starts with a slower ball which fetches just a single from Phillips. Latham with a single of his own and Phillips has slapped Farooqi for back to back sixes!!! Just a single from the last 2 deliveries.
Mujeeb continues and gives away 2 from the first three deliveries. This is Mujeeb's last over and Rashid has already finished his quota of 10. And AFG still have 6 more overs to bowl without their 2 best bowlers. 5 from this one.
"Tom" Latham living up to his name, nine lives an all that. Yet another sitter dropped as the NZ captain continues to live a charmed life.
We are on to the 43nd over and Rashid Khan will bowl. Latham on strike and he takes a single off asweep while Philips returns the favour. And what just happened? Latham has been dropped. That's another sitter they have let go. Not supporting the bowlers at all. Just 6 from this over. 50 up for Philips.
Latham with the reverse sweep, and a simple chance at backward point is put down. Latham got a top edge on the shot with Mujeeb completely misjudged it. Poor from the Afghans
Final ten overs to go but can New Zealand put on a big finish? Glenn Phillips is on 37(59) and Tom Latham is on 34(51). It's time for them to up the ante. Let us see if Afghanistan bowlers allow them to do that
New Zealand are recovering through Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips. They have gone past the testing phase and have realised this is not a 280+ sort of pitch. They know 250 will be a good total here. New Zealand need this partnership to go on for another six overs at least.
Afghanistan's Rashid Khan is convinced that there is a chance for LBW and they go up for review. There doesn’t appear to be any bat involved, but can we have a look at ultra edge? The impact is umpire's call, and not out. The over ends with a four
New Zealand are recovering through Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips. They have gone past the testing phase and have realised this is not a 280+ sort of pitch. They know 250 will be a good total here. New Zealand need this partnership to go on for another six overs at least.
After five dot balls, Glenn Phillips decides to go for it, goes back in the crease, and pulls it away over a jumping mid-wicket for a big six. Phillips moves on to 25 off 36 and giving him company is Latham on 25 off 40
Score after 34 overs
NZ 159-4
Latham goes down and executes the sweep and gets a little bit of bat and that is enough to take the ball past the keeper for four. NZ will want more of this. The run-rate has now risen to 4.61
Score after 32.2 overs
NZ 150-4
Brilliant bowling from the Afghans in the last 10 overs and NZ are under a lot of pressure. Boundaries have become hard to come by and a big score seems unlikely. One more wicket, and Afghanistan will be confident of mauling the lower order.
Score after 31 overs
NZ 142-4
A streaky four for Glenn Phillips as he drives and edges a length ball outside off down to the third man fence. But it doesn't matter because it is a boundary at least. Kiwis need more of this if they want to go above the par score of 230
Score after 30 overs
NZ 138-4
Mohammad Nabi [3.0-0-26-0] is back into the attack. He was expensive in his first spell. Let us see how he fares now. And indeed he does keep the batters in check and bags a maiden! WOW
Score after 28 overs
NZ 126-4
Glenn Phillips, who is on 3 from 11 balls, is visibly trying hard to keep the ball low and not try to hit a boundary every ball. Playing altogether against his natural flow today.
Score after 26 overs
NZ 122-4
After Azmat, Rashid Khan gives just one from his fifth over. Azmatullah's bowling display was pure magic! New Zealand went from a promising 109/1 to a struggling 110/4 in the blink of an eye
Score after 24 overs
NZ 117-4
Azmatullah Omarzai keeps it tight and gives away just three in his second over. NZ under real pressure now
Score after 23 overs
NZ 116-4