| ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Group 1, Adelaide |
| Australia 168-8 (20 overs): Maxwell 54* (32), Marsh 45 (30); Naveen 2-20 |
| Afghanistan 164-7 (20 overs): Rashid 48* (23), Gulbadin 39 (23), Gurbaz 30 (17) |
| Australia received by 4 runs |
| Scorecard. Tables. |
Australia beat Afghanistan by 4 runs within the Men’s T20 World Cup but failed to obtain the online run-rate swing required to additional boost their probabilities.
It means if England beat Sri Lanka by any margin on Saturday, they’ll progress on the hosts’ expense.
If Sri Lanka win, Australia will be a part of New Zealand in progressing from Group 1 to the final 4.
Australia wanted an enormous victory in Adelaide to pile the strain on England but couldn’t break away with the bat as they had been restricted to 168-8, which means they’d to maintain Afghanistan beneath 119 to have an opportunity of pipping England on web run-rate.
In the tip Australia, with out injured captain Aaron Finch or the curiously dropped Mitchell Starc, had been virtually overwhelmed, which might have ended their hopes fully.
Afghanistan reached 99-2 after 13 overs of their chase earlier than three wickets in 4 balls – an excellent Glenn Maxwell run-out and two for spinner Adam Zampa – swung the sport again in the direction of Australia.
Rashid Khan then smashed 48 not out from 23 balls but with 22 wanted from the ultimate over, Afghanistan got here up quick, regardless of Rashid flogging a six and two fours.
Earlier, David Warner gave Australia a quick begin with 28 but the common lack of wickets checked the scoring, Maxwell top-scoring with 54 not out from 32 balls.
Credit must also go to a superb Afghanistan bowling efficiency with Naveen-ul-Haq closing out the innings brilliantly and taking 2-20.
New Zealand beat Ireland earlier on Friday and have secured one of many two semi-final locations. They will virtually definitely take prime spot until England win by an enormous margin.
Australia win is probably not sufficient
The match ended with neither facet actually celebrating, which summed up an odd evening on the Adelaide Oval.
The web run-rate state of affairs was a continuing theme, presumably distractingly so for the hosts, and Afghanistan virtually pulled off an actual upset.
Australia tried to press the accelerator from the off but, having introduced power together with his ferocious working between the wickets, Warner was bowled by seamer Naveen taking part in an audacious change hit which resulted in him batting right-handed.
Steve Smith, introduced in for his first recreation of the event for the injured Tim David, was out lbw in the identical over and Mitchell Marsh was taken off a top-edge for 45 making an attempt to slog-sweep Mujeeb ur Rahman into the stands.
Maxwell got here closest to hitting prime kind but was restricted by the superb Naveen on the loss of life, who bowled a combination of slower balls and yorkers. Only 25 runs got here from the final 4 overs.
Australia would have hoped to set a far greater goal, which can have allowed them to be extra aggressive with their area placings within the chase.
Instead they had been pushed again by opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 30 from 17 balls and 39 from right-hander Gulbadin Naib.
The latter took Afghanistan to a place of energy – he and Ibrahim Zadran smashed 17 from a Kane Richardson over – till he was run out by a Maxwell direct hit from long-on and Ibrahim was caught a ball later.
Those wickets started a collapse of 4-4, at which level Afghanistan had been 103-6 – beneath Australia’s web run-rate goal rating.
Rashid took Afghanistan past that and when he whipped 4 sixes in his wristy type his facet had been again within the recreation.
Ultimately, although, Marcus Stoinis did sufficient within the remaining over, leaving Australia to rue their 89-run defeat by New Zealand of their opening recreation.
That left their web run-rate able from which they might not recuperate. All they will do now’s hope for Sri Lanka to upset England in Sydney.
