NED vs AFG Review: Afghanistan inch closer to semi-final qualification

The 34th match of the ongoing ODI World Cup was played at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow where Afghanistan and Netherlands faced off each other.

The Netherlands won the toss and elected to bat first and suffered an early setback as they lost their first wicket quickly. However, Max ODowd and Collin Ackermann formed a strong partnership for the second wicket, helping the Dutch team score 66 runs after the first ten overs with only one wicket down. Unfortunately for O’Dowd, he was run out by a brilliant throw from Azmatullah Omarzai when he was looking in excellent form and had scored 42 runs.

After O’Dowd’s dismissal, the Dutch team struggled against Afghanistan’s spin bowling and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. They were eventually bowled out for a mere 179 runs. It is worth mentioning that four of their batters were run out, which significantly contributed to their low total.

In pursuit of the target, Afghanistan lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz early on. However, a solid partnership between Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah stabilized their innings. Both batters contributed valuable runs and seemed set for big scores.

However, Ibrahim was dismissed, but captain Hashmatullah Shahidi joined Rahmat Shah, and together they formed a brilliant 76-run partnership for the third wicket, almost guaranteeing Afghanistan’s victory. Rahmat scored 52 before getting out, while Hashmatullah remained unbeaten on 56, leading his team to a seven-wicket victory.

Top Performers of the Match

Sybrand Engelbrecht (58 of 86)

Sybrand Engelbrecht showed remarkable resilience for the Dutch team when they were losing wickets at regular intervals. He played brilliantly and scored 58 runs, including eight fours. His innings was crucial in enabling the Dutch team to post a respectable total on the scoreboard.

Mohammad Nabi (3/28, 9.3 overs)

Experienced all-rounder Mohammad Nabi displayed his bowling skills in the game, particularly during the middle overs. He bowled exceptionally well, restricting the Dutch batsmen from scoring freely. Nabi ended up taking three crucial wickets, making him the standout bowler of the match.

What next?

Going ahead, the Netherlands will play against England on November 8 while Afghanistan will take on Australia on November 7.