Player of the Match
Player of the Match

And with that one-sided affair coming to a close earlier than many of us anticipated, it's time for us to say goodnight. Hope you enjoyed our coverage. Don't forget to tune in tomorrow for India v Bangladesh clash. For now, this is Rvel Zahid saying goodbye on behalf of my co-commentator Ashish Pant and our scoring team. Cheers!

Do check out the match report by Ashish to review the events of the day

Tom Latham, New Zealand Captain: Pleasing start, another great performance today. We were put under pressure at certain times but putting pressure back on them at end of the innings was great. I think at that time we lost three wickets in a short span of time, we tried to get a partnership there...took it nice and deep, there were a few chances here and there I guess. We tried to capitalise on those chances. Glenn played a fantastic innings, took pressure of me. The guys set the tone at the top in first 10 overs and kept chipping in. Pleasing all around. (game versus India) I guess on the back of some good performances, we are stepping in the right way. We have a week or so and then we will play India and Australia, we are hoping to continue the momentum.

Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan Captain: Yeah, very disappointed because at this level you have to take those kind of catches. End of the day those catches hurt us otherwise team was doing well but the fielding made us feel a little bit down. Last six overs, a lot of runs (were made) by New Zealand, before that we dropped two catches before 40th over and the set batters were there, that's why we couldn't stop them but everything went their way. Yeah, the toss I can say...we couldn't judge properly the pitch. I think in the first innings, it was spinning and was a bit slow, we have bowled well but the fielding was not good. (on next match) tonight game will hurt us but we still have more games to come, next match is against Pakistan. We will go back and discuss where we can improve and will try to come back stronger.

Glenn Phillips, Player of the Match: Afghanistan spinners are incredibly talented. We did lose a couple of wickets early in the middle there, and just the way we went about was really pleasing to see. It was great how we were able to take it till the end and I think we understood what we could possibly get in last 10 overs. Was amazing how Chapman and Santner finished it. I thought 250 was par. We are in an environment where we keep working for each other and play as a teach. Latham was really good towards the end.

The points table is being fixed.

This has been a meek surrender from Afghanistan, and their decision to win the toss and field first didn't go according to plan. They were lacklustre in the fielding department and shelled too many catches and New Zealand feasted on those errors as expected. Afghanistan folded on 139 with Rahmat emerging as their top-scorer. Ferguson and Santner picked up three wickets each, while Boult snapped up two wickets. It's been a thoroughly professional and clinical display from New Zealand who remain unbeaten. Despite losing early wickets, New Zealand showed they had enough in their tank to get back on track, and they went on to put up a respectable total of 288, which proved to be more than enough to ruffle Afghanistan

RJ14: "Afghanistan should have opted for batting first. Put 250 on the board and Afghanistan could have been in the game. They should have at least learn from England's mistake against them. If England also opted to bat first against AFG so they could have easily win the game."

Donald Alexande: "What an awful, dare I say irresponsible, capitulation. No thought of net run rate there"

Zain: "There can be a possibility that NZ can also not make to top 4, all coming matches are against big guys, India, Pakistan, Australia, South Africa and Srilanka."

Naveed: "M. Nawaz should be watching Santnar carefully, on how to get middle over wickets."

sahid: "why they choose bat first, they should keep momentum from the last match. simple bat first and give the decant total for their bowler specially in Chennai condition. "

Manu Ajmani: "All the comments have mostly been centered towards a hope for Afghanistan's victory but keep in mind New Zealand has been very clinical here in all departments in this match and the 3 matches prior to today. It is still too early to predict but India vs New Zealand could be a fantastic final with Dhoni in the stands :)"

Arif: "@Rvel How lucky you are!! Just did commentary for 7 balls and you will have rest now. You didn't have expected that." I didn't even get warmed up properly and the game is already over!

34.4
W
Santner to Fazalhaq Farooqi, OUT, Santner delivers the coup de grace! Tossed up on a length, keeping it nice and straight, getting a hint of turn, he doesn't account for the turn and plays an ugly hoick across the line, gets a thick outside edge and Mitchell gobbles it up sharply at first slip as New Zealand register an emphatic 149-run win over Afghanistan! This has been a disappointing show with the bat while New Zealand bowlers proved too hot to handle and broke partnerships at regular intervals

Fazalhaq Farooqi c Mitchell b Santner 0 (1m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Walt: "Afghanistan's fielding was woeful. Of course, it's all speculation as to how much damage it did, but I think that had the catches been held, then NZ might have only mustered 200 or so - a much more forgiving chase, and one that Afghanistan could've been very circumspect and conservative about with their chase."

34.3
0
Santner to Fazalhaq Farooqi, no run, Glides it down to point with minimal fuss
34.2
W
Santner to Naveen-ul-Haq, OUT, Afghanistan lose another as Naveen tries an adventurous reverse sweep and finds Chapman inside the ring who pockets the catch gleefully. Afghanistan are spiralling now and the resistance is melting away quickly like an ice-cream in blistering heat

Naveen-ul-Haq c Chapman b Santner 0 (1m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

34.1
1
Santner to Ikram Alikhil, 1 run, Tossed up on a length outside off, lunges forward, brings the broom out and plays a big yawning sweep to backward square

END OF OVER:
34 | 4 Runs 2 Wkts | AFG: 138/8 (151 runs required from 16 overs, RR: 4.05, RRR: 9.43)

  • Ikram Alikhil18 (20b)
  • Lockie Ferguson7-1-19-3
  • Mitchell Santner7-0-38-1
33.6
W
Ferguson to Mujeeb Ur Rahman, OUT, Another breakthrough! Hurls down a nasty bouncer and follows him up as he shimmies down leg, he looks away and goes fishing at it, ball stays up for an eternity high into the night sky and then settles in the cozy, secure, big bucket hands of Will Young at deep fine leg

Mujeeb Ur Rahman c Young b Ferguson 4 (2m 3b 1x4 0x6) SR: 133.33

33.5
0
Ferguson to Mujeeb Ur Rahman, no run, Fraction short and wide, slapped on the up to cover, can't find a gap
33.4
4
Ferguson to Mujeeb Ur Rahman, FOUR, Whoa! That's clubbed right out of the meat of the bat. Great sound. Gives himself room, clears front leg and pumps it down to midwicket fence

Thank you, Ashish. Looks like we might not get a thriller, but there is still plenty to play for. A loss is not the worst possible result and taking care of that net run rate is important in the round-robin format where every team plays each other once. Even though the target is not that colossal, Afghanistan have found it tough to keep the asking rate in check. There was still a glimmer of hope when seasoned campaigner Mohammad Nabi was on the crease. Having said that, they should try to take the game deep and fight till the end.

Props to New Zealand's bowlers though who have stuck to their guns, been very tidy tonight, and bowled supremely well. Where do you think Afghanistan got it wrong today?

Here's Rvel

33.3
W
Ferguson to Rashid Khan, OUT, Another one bites the dust. Fuller on rather just outside leg stump. Rashid clears his front leg and was looking to whack it over. Skews it of the outside edge of the bat as the ball spoons straight up. Mitchell sprints back from cover and completes a simple catch

Rashid Khan c Mitchell b Ferguson 8 (10m 13b 0x4 1x6) SR: 61.53

33.2
0
Ferguson to Rashid Khan, no run, Banged in short just outside off. He ducks rather just keeps is head down as the ball fizzes through to the keeper
33.1
0
Ferguson to Rashid Khan, no run, Eyes a cross-batted wild heave, but makes no connection. On a length outside off. He can only connect at thin air

END OF OVER:
33 | 8 Runs | AFG: 134/6 (155 runs required from 17 overs, RR: 4.06, RRR: 9.11)

  • Rashid Khan8 (10b)
  • Ikram Alikhil18 (20b)
  • Mitchell Santner7-0-38-1
  • Lockie Ferguson6-1-15-1
32.6
1
Santner to Rashid Khan, 1 run, Charges down again as Santner gets the length ball outside off. Whips it to deep cover
32.5
0
Santner to Rashid Khan, no run, Slows this down and hangs the length back to turn it sharply past Rashid's outside edge
32.4
6
Santner to Rashid Khan, SIX, That's how you play Santner. Tossed up on off stump. Rashid backs away, jumps down the track and tonks him straight over the bowler's head

Afghanistan 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st27Ibrahim ZadranRahmanullah Gurbaz
2nd0Rahmat ShahIbrahim Zadran
3rd16Hashmatullah ShahidiRahmat Shah
4th54Rahmat ShahAzmatullah Omarzai
5th10Rahmat ShahIkram Alikhil
6th18Mohammad NabiIkram Alikhil
7th9Rashid KhanIkram Alikhil
8th4Ikram AlikhilMujeeb Ur Rahman
9th1Naveen-ul-HaqIkram Alikhil
10th0Ikram AlikhilFazalhaq Farooqi