The Kiwis kept their dominance over Afghanistan to register four straight victories in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in Chennai on Wednesday. In the decisive victory, Tom Latham (68) and Glenn Phillips (71) had both quickly reached half-centuries.
The excitement will intensify as the battle becomes more fierce. Join the best cricket betting sites to experience the thrill of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup while betting on your favorite side.
The Rundown: New Zealand vs Afghanistan
On Wednesday, New Zealand extended their undefeated record in the ODI World Cup by overpowering Afghanistan, handing them a resounding 149-run loss.
When New Zealand’s top team suddenly collapsed, the persistent Afghans briefly raised hopes of another surprise, three days after upsetting reigning champions England in Delhi.
Dominating Win for the Kiwis
At 110/4 in the first inning, the Black Caps seemed to be having some difficulty as a strong start was disrupted by three quick wickets. But because of some shoddy playing by Afghanistan, New Zealand was able to reach a difficult total courtesy of a partnership of 144 from Glenn Phillips (71) and Tom Latham (68).
Latham and Phillips settled in to establish the innings’ decisive collaboration, carrying the match into the last ten overs before launching a couple of big blows. Afghanistan was bowling superbly and had the chance to produce their second surprise victory.
In the 48th over, Naveen-ul-Haq struck to dismiss both, but New Zealand’s finisher Mark Chapman came up to hammer 25 off 12 balls at the final opportunity, bringing the final result to 288/6.
Latham was in command of the squad while Kane Williamson was out, and his team performed wonderfully, rising to the very top of the standings in terms of points.
Mission Unsuccesful for the Afghans
The Afghanistan response got off to a strong start as the two openers tried to eliminate Trent Boult and Matt Henry’s major threat during the power play.
The important batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz was dismissed by Henry for 11, and Ibrahim Zadran was caught by Boult for 14. However, just as the partnership appeared to be becoming settled, two wickets went in the span of three balls.
Afghanistan built a foundation that might serve as a starting point for its lower-order hitters throughout a 54-run partnership, yet there remained plenty to be done when Boult reappeared to dismiss Azmatullah Omarzai for 27.
As a result of a drawn-out third-umpire verdict on a bump ball, the otherwise expensive Rachin Ravindra was able to dismiss Rahmat Shah, leaving Afghanistan five down and facing an uphill battle.
Afghanistan’s strong all-rounders were in quest of a huge contribution; however, Mohammad Nabi was the next wicket to go down, putting his team at 125/6.
And it was Lockie Ferguson and Santner who put an end to the match swiftly to provide the Black Caps with a significant total run rate advantage, taking the final four wickets in the space of only eight frames as Afghanistan got out for 139, still needing 149 runs.
Player of the Game: Glenn Phillips
Glenn Phillips was named the ‘Player of the Game’ against Afghanistan. Phillips finished the game with 71 plus four sixes. The 26-year-old was amazed by the Afghanistan spinners’ performance in their last match due to their skills and endurance.
The 2019 runners-up put up a customary collective performance to win their fourth straight match, this time by 149 runs, and climb to the top of the points standings.
Phillips credited their success in the competition to their mentality of prioritizing the team over all other considerations.
New Zealand v Afghanistan Score
| New Zealand | Afghanistan |
| 288/6(50 overs) | 139(34.4 overs) |
| New Zealand dominates Afghanistan by 149 runs to register four consecutive wins | |
With four victories out of four and the greatest overall run rate in the competition, victory moves New Zealand to the forefront of the standings.
On Sunday in Dharamsala, New Zealand will meet the host nation, India, in a tantalizing matchup of two unbeaten teams, while Afghanistan will try to recover as they face Pakistan on Monday.
As the game intensifies, the level of excitement will go up. Place your bets on the team of your choice and experience the exciting action of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup at the best cricket betting sites today!