Afghanistan hammer New Zealand for landmark victory

Rahmanullah Gurbaz made 80 and Ibrahim Zadran contributed 44, before Rashid and Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed four wickets apiece as Kane Williamson's men were rolled for just 75

Nick Friend | 08/06/2024 at 03:40

Guyana: Afghanistan 159-6, New Zealand 75 - Afghanistan win by 84 runs

A superb all-round display from Afghanistan had far too much for an out-of-sorts performance from New Zealand in Guyana.

Rashid Khan's side, who had never beaten the Blackcaps before in international cricket, were so dominant throughout that it felt hard to term it an upset of any description.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz made 80 and Ibrahim Zadran contributed 44, before Rashid and Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed four wickets apiece as Kane Williamson's men were rolled for just 75.

New Zealand had won the toss and elected to field, but – having not played for 41 days, and even then with a vastly different lineup – they had little rhythm and were unusually sloppy from the outset.

Devon Conway, playing his first game of any description for three months after injury, struggled behind the stumps, dropping a straightforward runout and missing a much tougher stumping, while Finn Allen shelled a chance at deep square leg and Williamson failed to cling onto an opportunity at mid-off.

When Glenn Phillips did hold onto a catch, he wasn't able to stay within the boundary.

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^{New Zealand were well beaten (David Rowland/AFP via Getty Images)}

Gurbaz on his own hit more boundaries than New Zealand. When Zadran dragged on a short ball from Matt Henry, Azmatullah Omarzai continued the momentum with two sixes in a 13-ball cameo, before the excellent Trent Boult stemmed the tide with a superb, three-wicket final over.

But any thought that the impetus had shifted was quickly expunged, with Allen's miserable day ending with the first ball of New Zealand's reply. He was beaten all ends up by Farooqi, who has eight wickets in two matches after beginning against Uganda with a five-wicket haul.

In the left-armer's next over, he had Conway chip to extra cover, before finding the edge of Daryl Mitchell with a beauty to leave New Zealand three down inside five overs.

The Blackcaps' hopes rested on Williamson, who had already survived a tight lbw appeal on umpire's call, but he inexplicably guided Rashid's first delivery to slip, before Afghanistan's captain knocked over Mark Chapman and trapped Michael Bracewell in front. Phillips then held out to long-on as the house of cards tumbled emphatically.

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