West Indies win by 23 runs against Afghanistan

West Indies beat Afghanistan by 23 runs at Leeds.

Chris Gayle managed only seven runs in his final World Cup appearance but Shai Hope capitalised on an early reprieve to score 77 and help the eliminated Caribbean side to 311-6 after electing to bat.

While Gayle disappointed, 18-year-old Ikram Alikhil top-scored for Afghanistan with a career-best 86 before falling to the 39-year-old part-time spinner from Jamaica.

Afghanistan were all out for 288 in exactly 50 overs -- their highest score in the World Cup -- to finish their campaign with nine defeats in as many matches, denying their West Indian coach Phil Simmons a winning send-off.

The match against the tournament's weakest side was an opportunity for Gayle to produce a special performance but the prolific left-handed opener failed to take it.

Gayle slashed at a wide Dawlat Zadran delivery to be caught behind, finishing his last World Cup with only one half-century.

West Indies could have been in bigger trouble but Rashid Khan dropped a sitter at mid-wicket off Zadran when Hope was on five.

By the time Rashid caught him, at mid-wicket in the 38th over, Hope had laid a strong foundation for a 300-plus total.

Opener Evin Lewis celebrated his return to the team with 58 and Nicholas Pooran also made 58, his third 50-plus score of the tournament.

Skipper Jason Holder clobbered four sixes in his 45 off 34 balls to help the team past the 300-mark.

Dropped catched, squandered run-out opportunity and misfields marred Afghanistan's fielding, best illustrated in the final over of the West Indies innings.

Afghan captain Gulbadin Naib got himself under a skier at long-off but flinched at the last moment, possibly losing the ball in sunlight, allowing what would have been a regulation catch to go for a boundary.

Naib could not impress with the bat either and fell for eight.

Shah and Alikhil refused to throw in the towel, though, frustrating the West Indies attack with a 133-run partnership.

Carlos Brathwaite (4-63) dismissed Shah as he and Kemar Roach (3-37) snuffed out Afghan hopes of an unlikely victory. (Reuters)

Afghanista stutter in chase of 311

Afghanistan lost three quick wickets while in chase of a mammoth 311 for six posted by West Indies earlier at Headingly in Leeds today.

Afghanistan got off to a flying start, courtesy of a 133-run second-wicket stand between Rahmat Shah and Ikram Alikhil after losing skipper Gulbadin Naib in the second over of the match. After that Rahmat was dismissed for 62 in the 27th over but another 51-run third-wicket stand between Ikram and Nazibullah Zadran had kept the Afghan hopes alive. However, Afghanistan lost their next three wickets after adding just 12 runs.  

West Indies reach 311/6 against Afghanistan

An 88-run partnership between Evin Lewis and Shai Hope steadied the Windies ship after the loss of Chris Gayle early on before late hitting from Nicolas Pooran, Jason Holder and Carlos Brathwaite took West Indies to 311 for six against Afghanistan at Leeds today.

Lewis fell after scoring 58 off 78 deliveries and the Shimron Hetmyer came in and picked up the scoring rate witha 31-ball 39. Hetmyer and Hope fell in quick succession but Pooran and captain Holder then featured in a 105-run partnership in just 69 deliveries. Pooran struck a 43-ball 58 and Holder played his part in a handy 34-ball 45 as Windies crossed 300. Brathwaite struck two fours and a six in his four-ball innings as Windies reach a challenging total against Afghanistan.

The Caribbeans lost Chris Gayle early in their innings but have fought back valiantly. 

Shai Hope and Erwin Lewis made a half-century stand as West Indies look to post up a decent total. The batsmen were cautious on their approach as the Afghanistan spinners have cramped up the runs. Hope and Lewis made sure they scored a boundary on the rare bad balls provided by the bowlers. In the process Lewis scored a half-century.

5.3, WI 21/1-Zadran removes Gayle. This was Gayle’s last 50-over World Cup match but he lost patience and his wicket. Looked to back away to open up the off-side and swing big, but Dawlat saw him do that and fired this wider. Gayle looked to reach out to carve it away but ended up nicking it behind. CH Gayle c †Ikram Alikhil b Dawlat Zadran 7 (18b 1x4 0x6) SR: 38.88

West Indies won the toss and chose to bat against Afghanistan at Leeds in the 42nd match of this World Cup.

“The pitch could get slower as it progresses.” said the West Indies skipper Jason Holder. Two changes for the West Indies side as Evin Lewis came in for Sunil Ambris, and Kemar Roach for Shannon Gabriel.

Gulbadin Naib said that he would also have wanted to bat first. Hamid Hassan, Hashmatullah were not in the squad whereas Sayed Shirzad and Dawlat Zadran got the green light for the Afghanistan side.

Both Afghanistan and West Indies are out of the contention of qualifying for the top four. Afghanistan have not won any matches yet in this tournament as they missed out on crucial moments during those matches to snatch victory.

However, the Caribbeans started the tournament in a promising manner by winning convincingly against Pakistan but it went all downhill after that.  

Although this match will not have much effect on the point table, it should be a thriller as both the captains would want to end their disappointing World Cup campaigns in a high.

Afghanistan got the better of West Indies both the times when they met in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers.

Playing XIs:

West Indies : Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope†, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran, Jason Holder*, Carlos Brathwaite, Fabian Allen, Sheldon Cottrell, Kemar Roach, Oshane Thomas

Afghanistan : Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib*, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shinwari, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Alikhil†, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Sayed Shirzad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

More to follow...