Afghanistan v England – ICC World Twenty20 (6th match, Group A) – Match Recap – Wright leads England to 116-run win
A spectacular half-ton from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 World Twenty20 2012 campaign on the right note, as the Poms went on to claim a massive 116-run win over Afghanistan in their Group A match, played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, on September 21. Meanwhile, the defeat spelled Afghanistan’s exit from the competition, despite a valiant performance in the World T20 2012.
The 116-run victory is England’s highest in T20Is, and the third highest in the history of the format. Meanwhile, Afghanistan luckily managed to escape surpassing the record for the heaviest T20 defeat, which is still http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758. However, their defeat is still highly significant, in that it shows how long the Afghan team have yet to go, if they aim to establish themselves on the international cricketing stage.
Player of the Match Luke Wright played a scintillating unbeaten knock of 99 off 55 balls to reaffirm faith in the defending champions England, as they go into the World T20 2012 sans http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Afghanistan-c745’s turn at bat, restricting the opposition, all out, to 80.
Afghanistan won the toss and elected to field, and the decision appeared to be an informed one as fiery young paceman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/C-Kieswetter-c1206 on duck in the very first over.
However, from there onwards, the Afghan bowlers were unable to make any sizeable dents in the English batting order, and their sloppy fielding, which led to numerous dropped catches and overthrows, did little to help their case.
The next batsman to step up to the crease was Wright, who smashed 99* off 55 – a knock which included 6 sixes and 8 fours – and steered the team to a solid total of 196. He was joined for his first partnership by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Alex-Hales-c985 (31), and the two batsmen contributed a combined total of 69 runs.
Hales was run out in the 10th over by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nawroz-Mangal-c2084 while attempting to play a low full-toss from Izatullah Dawlatzai (3-0-56-2) in the 17th over.
By this point in the match, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Izatullah-Dawlatzai-c1609), and then by Jonny Bairstow (12 off 5) for a 35-run partnership (after which Bairstow fell prey to Dawlat Zadran).
Wright was cut off one run short of a century, as England’s 20 overs came to an end, with the team posting a final total of 196.
Afghanistan’s turn at bat resulted in a complete and utter batting failure – save Gulbodin Naib, none of the batsmen managed double-digit scores. Top-order batsmen http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Nabi-c77111 (1), was similarly ineffective. By the 9th over Afghanistan were at a dismal 26 for 8.
Naib’s 44 off 32 was a valiant attempt, but remained unsupported by any of the remaining batsmen. England launched a fierce bowling attack, featuring http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ST-Finn-c2566 (4-0-24-1). Faltering under the force of the attack, Afghanistan were cut off, all out, at 80 by the 18th over, granting England a positive start to their World T20 campaign.
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