Rusty Black Caps embarrassed by Afghanistan at T20 World Cup

Saturday, 8 June 2024

The Black Caps have suffered a 84-run defeat against Afghanistan in their opening match at the Twenty20 World Cup.

Chasing 160 to win at Guyana National Stadium, they were dismissed for just 75 inside 16 overs.

They now have a must-win match against tournament co-hosts the West Indies on Thursday (NZ time).

At Guyana National Stadium, Providence: Afghanistan 159-6 (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 80 off 56; Trent Boult 2-22 off 4) beat the Black Caps 75 all out in 15.2 overs (Glenn Phillips 18 off 18; Fazalhaq Farooqi 4-17 off 3.2, Rashid Khan 4-17 off 4) by 84 runs. Click here for the full scorecard.

The Black Caps’ streak of making it to the semifinals at white-ball World Cups is at serious risk of being halted, after an embarrassing first-up display in the Caribbean.

Not since the 2014 Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh have they not made it to the final four of a major one-day or T20 international tournament.

Afghanistan seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi celebrates with wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz after dismissing Finn Alenn with his first ball.

But after turning in an error-ridden, rusty performance against Afghanistan in their opening match at the 2024 T20 World Cup, they have their work cut out to even make it as far as the second round.

Rahmudullah Gurbaz would have been run out for 19 off 17, had Black Caps wicketkeeper Devon Conway cleanly claimed a throw from Matt Henry in the sixth over.

Instead, Afghanistan’s big-hitting danger man went on to make 80 off 56 balls before he was bowled by Trent Boult in the final over of his team’s innings.

Having sent their opponents in, the Black Caps were left with a target of 160, which was always going to prove challenging on a pitch at Guyana National Stadium that seemed to offer plenty once pace was taken off the ball.

They got off to the worst possible start when Finn Allen was bowled by Fazalhaq Farooqi first ball and they never recovered from there, slumping to 43 for six when Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan struck twice in the ninth over.

Black Caps batter Daryl Mitchell leaves the field as Afghanistan celebrate his wicket.

Glenn Phillips was the only New Zealand batter able to hang around, but when he was caught at long-on in the 10th over, for 18 off 18, any faint hopes of a comeback were crushed.

The Black Caps were ultimately dismissed for just 75 in the 16th over, handing Afghanistan an 84-run win – simultaneously New Zealand’s largest defeat at a T20 World Cup – and giving their rivals’ net run rate a massive boost.

Conway’s dropped ball that cost the the chance to send the dangerous Gurbaz on his way early was symptomatic of a rust-ridden outing.

He was playing his first match in any format for any team since mid-February and it showed – and he wasn’t the only player lacking recent playing time.

Allen dropped a regulation catch at deep backward square leg, where the ball slammed into his chest as he seemingly failed to pick it up, while Kane Williamson also put an early chance down, albeit a one-handed effort.

Afghanistan were only 55-0 after 10 overs, but took advantage of their wickets in hand to explode after that, adding 104 runs in the back half of their innings, including 42 from overs 11 to 13.

The selection of Michael Bracewell as the second spinner over T20 regular Ish Sodhi backfired, as he was hit for 21 runs in his third over and didn’t return to bowl a fourth.

Trent Boult took two wickets alongside a run-out in the final over to ensure Afghanistan didn’t get completely out of reach, but when Allen didn’t come close to getting bat on ball against Fazalhaq, a sinking feeling began to grow.

With Mitchell Santner down at No 8, the Black Caps batting order went deeper than it normally does in cricket’s shortest format, but there was no comeback to be had.

The big picture

The Black Caps’ first-up defeat makes their next match, against the West Indies on Thursday (NZ time), a must-win affair. Even if they get up against the World Cup co-hosts, the race to advance out of group C might come down to tiebreakers. Lose, and they will be going through the motions when they face minnows Uganda and Papua New Guinea in their last two matches.

What’s next

The Black Caps shift from Guyana to Trinidad & Tobago for their other three matches in group C, which will be played at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. The first is on Thursday (first ball 12.30pm NZ time) against the West Indies, who began their campaign with a win over Papua New Guinea and face Uganda beforehand, on Sunday (NZ time).