ICC World T20: Defending Champions England End Afghanistan’s Challenge

After putting up a brave performance against India, the Afghanistan cricket team wilted under the relentless pressure exerted by the defending champions England. The world number one side defeated Afghanistan by a massive 116 runs at the Premadasa stadium.

After putting the opposition into bat, the Afghani new ball bowlers were making the ball talk as they dismissed Kieswetter in the first over itself. After being 15 for 1 in the fourth over, the English batsmen decided to go after the leather. And go after the leather they did. Alex Hales who has made an impressive start to his career and the new look, fast improving Luke Wright put the attack to the sword. Luke Wright was unlucky to remain unbeaten on 99 as he could score only two of the three runs required off the last ball to get to a well deserved century. England finished with a near insurmountable total of 196. Seamer Dawlat Zadran was impressive for the bowling side as he gave away just 22 runs in his four overs.

Unlike their first match, there were to be no heroics from the Afghani batsmen. Wickets kept tumbling from the first over itself and by the ninth over they were 26 for 8. Thereafter Gulbodin Naib who had given the Indians a scare, played a lone hand and helped them surpass the lowest score in T20s with a innings of 44 which was laced with three sixes. They ended the innings on 80 as all the English bowlers chipped in with a wicket or two. The loss means that Afghanistan follow the Zimbabweans to go out of the tournament.