So Windies finishes off with a win just like they started their world cup campaign, in between they lost six games, with one called off due to rain while Afghanistan failed to win a single game in the tournament.
West Indies opted to bat first after winning the toss on a batting track at Leeds. Playing his last World Cup match, Chirs Gayle couldn’t do much with the bat and got out for just seven runs. After his dismissal, every West Indian batsman chipped with some useful runs. Lewis (58) and Hope (77) added 88 runs for the second wicket before Nabi caught Lewis off Rashid. The next four batsmen, Hetmyer (39), Pooran (58), Holder (45) and Brathwaite (14*) all scored at more than run a ball to finish the innings at 311 for 6 in 50 overs. The Afghan bowlers didn’t have a great day in the field, with everyone going over five an over.
Afghanistan had a lousy start too when they lost their captain and opener, Gulbadin Naib for just 5. However, Rahmat Shah (62) and the new batting sensation, Ikram Alikhil (86) added 133 runs in as many balls brought the hope in Afghan fans of winning the first game of the tournament. But once Ikram got out, 311 looked like a huge score to chase down. Even though Najibullah Zardan (31) and Asghar Afghan (40) added tried their best to chase, the task was too high with wickets falling at regular intervals. Afghanistan bowled out for 288 in 50 overs, for West Indies Brathwaite took four wickets while Roach took 3.
In the end, it was an easy win for West Indies, Afghanistan fought well but chasing a score above 300 was too much for them.
Video Highlights
STATS
- Gayle has now 10,338 runs in ODI for West Indies, only Lara with 10,348 runs is ahead of him for most runs in ODI for West Indies.
- Ikram Alikhil (18 years, 278 days) is the third youngest batsman, after Tamim Iqbal (17 years 362 days) and Mohd Ashraful (18 years, 234 days), to score a World Cup fifty.
