Azmatullah Omarzai played a fighting, unbeaten knock of 97 as Afghanistan scored 244 all out in 50 overs in their last World Cup first-round game against South Africa at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmadabad yesterday.
Afghanistan won the toss and elected to bat first. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, added 41 runs in 8.1 overs. Gurbaz was the first to depart, scoring 25 in 22 balls with 3 fours and a six, as Keshav Maharaj made the first breakthrough.
Zadran, the first Afghanistan player to score in the World Cup, managed to get only 15 in 30 balls with 3 fours.
All-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who came in at number 5, was unlucky not to complete his well-deserved maiden ODI century. He faced 107 balls while hitting seven fours and three sixes.
In the last over, paceman Kagiso Rabada bowled a very fine over, not giving Omarzai the chance to score the three runs needed.
Gerard Coetzee was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 for 44 in his ten-over spell, while Lungi Ngidi and spinner Keshav Maharaj took two wickets each. South Africa is already in the semi-finals with a second-place finish, but Afghanistan is still looking to fight for the last semi-final spot against Pakistan and New Zealand.
Today (11), two World Cup matches will take place: Australia will meet Bangladesh at Pune from 10.30 am, while Pakistan will face England at Kolkata from 2 pm.
Chief scores
Afganistan: 244 all out in 50 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 25, Ibrahim Zadran 15, Rahmat Shah 26, Azmatullah Omarzai 97*, Ikram Alikhil 12, Rashid Khan 14, Noor Ahmed 26, Lungi Ngidi 2/69, Gerard Coetzee 4/44, Keshav Maharaj 2/25)
South Africa 116/3
At the time of going to press, South Africa were 116 for 3 wickets after 23.1 overs, with Rassie van der Dussen on 28, and Heinrich Klaasen came in after the dismissal of Aiden Markram (25).
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