ICC World Cup 2023 Match No. 34 was played between afg vs ned at Ekana Sports City, Lucknow. Afghanistan maintained their streak and defeated opponents by 7 wickets.
Afghanistan made history with three consecutive wins in this year’s tournament. In the past two World Cups (2015 and 2019), they had only managed one win.
Despite losing their opening batsmen, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, early in the game, Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi led Afghanistan to a crucial victory. This win keeps Afghanistan’s hopes alive for a spot in the semi-finals.
Rahmat Shah, who has an impressive average of 44 runs in the World Cup and has scored 264 runs so far, played a key role. He partnered with his captain to add 52 runs, contributing to 74 runs.
Shahidi (56*) and Azmatullah Omarzai (31*) remained unbeaten, successfully chasing the target of 180 runs in 31.3 overs. This victory has also improved Afghanistan’s Net Run Rate (NRR).
The Netherlands batted first but could only manage to score 179 runs in 46.3 overs. Afghan spinners Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmed, along with the Dutch team’s poor running between the wickets, caused their downfall.
Despite a rough start that saw their opener Wesley Barresi getting out in the first over, the Netherlands displayed good cricket. However, their own mistakes cost them dearly. Their top performers, Max O’Dowd, Collin Ackerman, and Sybrand Engelbrecht, were all run out after scoring 42, 29, and 58 runs, respectively.
The Dutch team could have posted a better total, but their captain, Scott Edwards, was also run out on the first ball. This left their side at 92-4 in 18.4 overs.
Among the Afghan bowlers, Mohammad Nabi took three wickets, and the young talent Noor Ahmed claimed two.
Afghanistan’s next challenge is against the in-form Australia on November 7 in Mumbai. Meanwhile, the Netherlands will face struggling England on November 8 in Pune.