The Afghanistan cricket team secures their forth successive victory to boost their chances of reaching the semi-finals
Afghanistan secured their forth consecutive win in the ODI World Cup on Friday, November 3, as they defeated the Netherlands by seven wickets in Lucknow. The victory has now seen the Giant Killers take the fifth spot in the league standings, with two more matches to go, and they are firmly in the race to make the semifinals. While chasing a target of 180, Rahmat Shah scored 52, and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, unbeaten 56, led from the front to register the side’s fourth win of the tournament.
Having already managed to beat England and Pakistan in the group stage, Afghanistan were clear favorites to win against the Netherlands. Tasked with chasing 180, the Afghans did not have the best start, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz 10 departing early in the first powerplay. His opening partner, Ibrahim Zadran (20), also did not last long before he was scalped by veteran Roelof van der Merwe on the first ball after the first powerplay.
However, Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi then laid the foundation for the win with a 74-run stand for the third wicket, with the former departing after scoring a fifty. Azmatullah Omarzai would then add a significant contribution to the scoreboard to help Afghanistan in their victory.