Afghanistan post 284 against England on back of Gurbaz heroics

NEW DELHI : Afghanistan were dismissed for 284 in Sunday's World Cup group game against England after a blistering knock of 80 from opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz and a half-century at the death from Ikram Alikhil helped them post a fighting total.

The total was Afghanistan's second highest at a World Cup after they scored 288 against the West Indies in 2019.

Put into bat after England won the toss, Afghanistan got off to a flier with a 114-run opening stand between Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, as the duo scored at eight an over in the first powerplay.

Gurbaz attacked the fast bowlers and brought up his fifty in no time, but they lost wickets in a sudden top order collapse after Adil Rashid (3-42) came on as the spinner first dismissed Zadran (28) and then had Rahmat Shah stumped in his next over.

Gurbaz looked well set for a World Cup century having smashed eight fours and four sixes, but the 21-year-old was run out by substitute David Willey at midwicket when skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi called him for a risky run.

Gurbaz was livid as he trudged off, smashing his bat on the boundary rope and a chair as he returned to the pavilion.

Afghan wickets fell at regular intervals until Alikhil and Rashid Khan steadied the ship with a 43-run stand.

But the latter looked to clear the long on boundary in Adil Rashid's final over and Joe Root - who took four catches in the innings - timed his dive to perfection to take a stunning catch in the deep.

Alikhil eventually departed for 58 while Mujeeb Ur Rahman also made a quickfire 28 off 16 before England got Afghanistan all out in the penultimate ball of the final over when Jos Buttler ran out Naveen-ul-Haq.