Two-time champions West Indies produced an all-round performance to beat spirited Afghanistan in their last match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 at Headingley, Leeds on Thursday. Their 23-run win also helped legendary Chris Gayle signed off his World Cup career on a winning note. Here are the highlights and score of AFG vs WI encounter:
Shai Hope is the player of the match for 92-ball 77.
Always the favourite! Soon-to-be retired Chris Gayle with one of the match balls. AP Photo
Afghanistan Innings; Target 312
10:52 PM IST: Oshane Thomas with the last over of the match. Two dots to Sayed Shirzad. Then a four to deep extra cover as Shirzad reaches out to a widish delivery. A swing and miss for a dot. Shirzad clubs the next ball for a six, over long-off. 24 off 1 now! Still a good game. And Fabian Allen takes a stunning one-handed catch after chasing it down from cover. AFG-288 All Out. Windies win by 23 runs.
10:48 PM IST: Carlos Brathwaite on with his ninth over. Three singles from it. His figures today: 9-0-63-4. AFG-278/9 after 49 overs. They need 34 from 6.
10:44 PM IST: Oshane Thomas on with his sixth over. Two dots, then Sayed Shirzad takes a single. Mujeeb Ur Rahman hits the fourth ball for a four, to long on. At the same point, Windies were 272 but with fewer wickets down. Seven runs from the over. AFG-275/9 after 48 overs. They need 37 runs from 12 balls.
10:41 PM IST: Carlos Brathwaite on with his eighth over. Two dots and he gets the wicket of Rashid Khan, caught by Jason Holder at long-on. Another brilliant catch near the rope. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, right-handed batsman, is the new man. Sayed Shirzad hits the fifth ball for a six over long-on. Eight runs from the over. AFG-268/9 after 47 overs. They need 44 from 18 balls.
10:36 PM IST: Oshane Thomas on with his fifth over. Sayed Shirzad, the new man, hits the last ball for a four to long-on boundary. Five runs from the over. AFG-260/8 after 46 overs. They need 52 runs from 24 balls.
10:31 PM IST: Carlos Brathwaite returns for his seventh over. A dot, then gets the wicket of Asghar Afghan (40 off 32), caught by Jason Holder at long off, just inside the rope. FoW-244/7 (44.2 overs). Dawlat Zadran, right-handed batsman, is the new man. Zaran takes a single, then three wides. Rashid Khan hits the fourth ball for a six, over long-off. A single. And Afghanistan reach their highest score in the World Cup. Then, Dawlat Zadran (1 off 2) is caught at long-on by Sheldon Cottrell. FoW-255/8 (44.6 overs). They need 57 from 30 balls.
10:24 PM IST: Kemar Roach on with his last over. Asghar Afghan takes a single off the first ball, then three dots to Rashid Khan. One leg bye off the fifth ball. A single to end the over. Three runs from it. Roach's figures: 10-2-37-3. AFG-244/6 after 44 overs. They need 68 from 36 balls.
10:20 PM IST: Jason Holder continues. A wide, then back-to-back fours, over extra cover and to fine leg, as former Afghan captain Asghar Afghan takes on Windies captain. A single to deep. Another single, this time to backward point as Rashid Khan opens his account. A dot and a single to end the over. 12 runs from the over. AFG-241/6 after 43 overs. They need 71 from 42 balls.
10:15 PM IST: Carlos Brathwaite is signing a pile of miniature bats for fans. Kemar Roach on with penultimate over. He gets the wicket of Samiullah Shenwari (6 off 9), caught at deep mid-wicket by Shimron Hetmyer. FoW-227/6 (41.4 overs). Rashid Khan, right-handed batsman, is the new man. Three runs from the over. They need 83 runs from 48 balls.
10:09 PM IST: Jason Holder returns for his seventh over. Six runs, three singles, a double and a wide, from the over. AFG-226/5 after 41 overs. They need 86 runs from 54 balls.
10:04 PM IST: Kemar Roach continues. A dot to Asghar Afghan, then five singles. AFG-220/5 after 40 overs. They need 92 from 60.
10:00 PM IST: Sheldon Cottrell continues. Asghar Afghan hits the first ball for a six, over backward square leg boundary. Then a four off the next ball, beating the man at backward point. 14 runs from the over. AFG-215/5 after 39 overs. They need 97 runs from 66 balls.
9:56 PM IST: Kemar Roach returns for his seventh over. And he gets the wicket of Mohammad Nabi (2 off 6), caught at deep by Fabian Allen. FoW-201/5 (37.4 overs). Samiullah Shinwari, right-handed batsman is the new man. A maiden wicket. AFG-201/5. They need 111 runs from 72 balls. 21 runs and three wickets in the last five overs.
9:51 PM IST: Sheldon Cottrell returns for his sixth over. Five runs, furs singles and a wide, from the over. AFG-201/4 after 37 overs. They need 111 runs from 78 balls.
Record Alert! Ikram's 86 is the highest score by players aged 18 or lesser in the World Cup, beating Sachin Tendulkar's 84 against New Zealand in 1992. Tendulkar also scored 81 against Zimbabwe during the same campaign.
Well played kid! Chris Gayle applauds Ikram. AP Photo
9:47 PM IST: Chris Gayle on with his sixth over. And removes Ikram Ali Khil (86 off 92). LBW. Desperate review. FoW-189/3 (35.2 overs). Applause for both the batsman and bowler. Asghar Afghan, right-handed batsman, is the new man. And Najibullah (31 off 38) is run-out. FoW-194/4 (35.5 overs). Mohammad Nabi, right-handed batsman, is the new man. Nine runs from the over. AFG-196/4 after 36 overs. They need 116 runs from 84 balls.
9:37 PM IST: Sheldon Cottrell returns for his fifth over. Three singles and a double. Five runs from the over. AFG-187/2 after 35 overs. They need 125 runs from 90 balls.
9:31 PM IST: Chris Gayle on with his fifth over. Singles off the last two balls. AFG-182/2 after 34 overs. They need 130 runs. 28 runs from the last five overs. Drinks.
Feeling the heat! Windies think-tank gathers for some serious planning. AP Photo
9:28 PM IST: Carlos Brathwaite continues. Najibullah Zadran hits the first ball for a six, into the sightscreen. A single to third man, then the ball slips from Kemar Roach hands at deep midwicket. Two runs taken. Another misfield, this time by Sheldon Cottrell at long on. And two runs taken. Very very sloppy effort from the Windies fielders. Feeling the heat! 13 runs from the over. AFG-180/2 after 33 overs.
9:24 PM IST: Chris Gayle rushing through his over. Three singles from his fourth over. AFG-167/2 after 32 overs. They need 145 runs.
9:21 PM IST: Carlos Brathwaite continues with his fifth over. And a no-ball. Just four fielders inside the circle, and erring fielder is skipper Jason Holder. Elementary. Najibullah Zadran beats Oshane Thomas at short third man for a four off the fourth ball. Nine runs from the over. AFG-164/2 after 31 overs. They need 148 runs.
9:17 PM IST: Chris Gayle continues, and Shai Hopes messes up a stumping off the first ball. Ikram Ali Khil, way down the pitch, but Hope fails to gather the ball cleanly even though he disturbs the wickets. A single off the second ball, and that's all. AFG-155/2 after 30 overs. They need 157 runs from 150 balls.
9:13 PM IST: Carlos Brathwaite continues. Ikram Ali Khil hits the second ball for a four, over mid-wicket. Four more singles and eight from the over. AFG-154/2 after 29 overs. They need 158 runs.
9:08 PM IST: Chris Gayle continues. Seven runs from the over -- a couple of doubles and a three, off the last ball. AFG-146/2 after 28 overs.
Having some fun. Chris Gayle and Carlos Brathwaite doing the push-ups. AP Photo
9:05 PM IST: Carlos Brathwaite continues. And he strikes. Rahmat Shah (62 off 78) caught at extra cover by Chris Gayle to break a 133-run stand. And some celebration. Six push-ups from Gayle and Brathwaite, together. FoW-138/2 (26.2 overs). Najibullah Zadran, left-handed batsman, is the new man. Just a single from the over. AFG-139/2 after 27 overs.
9:01 PM IST: After a long chat between the skipper and Chris Gayle, comes another bowling change. 39-year-old Gayle, off-spinner, on. Windies looking for a breakthrough and rolling the dice. Three singles and Gayle is still limbering up. What a scene. Six singles. AFG-138/1 after 26 overs. They need 174 runs.
8:56 PM IST: Carlos Brathwaite continues, and Sheldon Cottrell, one of the best fielders in this World Cup, drops a dolly at long-on on after multiple attempts. Correction, Cottrell is the safest fielder, saving 35 runs and taking brilliant catches. He is pissed. But Rahmat Shah gets a life. Then, off the fourth ball, Windies missed a run-out chance against Shah, again, with Kemar Roach from fine leg failing to hit the target at the striker's end. Four runs from the over, all singles. AFG-132/1 after 25 overs. They need 180 runs.
8:52 PM IST: Jason Holder continues. Singles off the first and fifth balls, then Ikram Ali Khil flicks the last ball for a four top fine leg boundary. Six runs from the over. AFG-128/1 after 24 overs. They need 184 runs.
8:48 PM IST: Bowling change. Carlos Brathwaite, right-arm medium pacer, into the attack. A dot, then Rahmat Shah plays a delightful on-drive for a four. A fuller delivery and timed to perfection to beat the mid-on fielder. Fielding change, mid-on removed. Two dots and a single to long-on. Six runs from the over. AFG-122/1 after 23 overs. They need 190 runs. The second-wicket stand is now worth 117 in 130.
8:44 PM IST: Jason Holder continues. Ikram Ali Khil hits the second ball for a four, to mid-on. Lucky, it could have easily ended up as a catch. Seven runs from the over. AFG-116/1 after 22 overs. They need 196 runs.
8:39 PM IST: Fabian Allen continues. Ikram Ali Khil hits the first ball for a four, then another off the third ball. And maiden fifty for the 18-year-old in 57 balls. Youngest in this World Cup to do so. Eight runs from the over. AFG-109/1 after 21 overs. They need 203 runs.
8:36 PM IST: Jason Holder continues. Ikram Ali Khil takes a single off the second ball, then four dots to Rahmat Shah. AFG-101/1 after 20 overs.
Maiden World Cup fifty for Rahmat Shah. AP Photo
8:33 PM IST: Fabian Allen continues. Ikram Ali Khil plays a lofted shot over mid-off for a four. A single, then Rahmat Shah cuts the fourth ball for a four behind point. A single and maiden World Cup fifty for Shah, in 57 balls. 12 runs from the over. AFG-100/1 after 19 overs. They need 212 runs.
8:29 PM IST: Jason Holder continues. Rahmat Shah hits the fourth ball for a four. Controlled pull shot behind square. A single off the free hit for front foot no-ball to end the over. Six runs from Holder's third over. AFG-88/1 after 18 overs. They need 224 runs.
8:20 PM IST: Bowling change. Spin on for the fist the time. Fabian Allen, left-arm spinner, into the attack. Ikram Ali Khil survives as Oshane Thomas fails to reach the ball at mid-off, and two runs from it. Six runs from the over. AFG-80/1 after 17 overs. 26 runs from the last five overs. Drinks.
8:16 PM IST: Jason Holder continues. After five dots, Rahmat Shah finds the gap at backward point and the ball beats the third man for a four. AFG-74/1 after 16 overs. They need 238 runs.
8:12 PM IST: Oshane Thomas on with his fourth over. Three runs from the over. AFG-70/1 after 15 overs. They need 242 runs.
Bourgeoning stand! Rahmat Shah and Ikram Ali Khil weather the Windies pace attack. AP Photo
8:09 PM IST: Jason Holder, right-arm medium pacer, on. Two singles from it. AFG-67/1 after 14 overs. Rahmat Shah (31 off 35) and Ikram Ali Khil (29 off 43) have added 62 in 76 balls for the second wicket.
8:04 PM IST: Oshane Thomas on with his third over. Rahmat Shah pulls the third ball for a four. He drives the last ball brilliantly through cover for a four. Majestic. 11 runs from the over. AFG-65/1 after 13 overs. They need 247 more runs.
8:00 PM IST: Kemar Roach continues. Sixth over on the troth. Five singles from the over. AFG-54/1 after 12 overs. They need 258 runs.
7:56 PM IST: Oshane Thomas continues. Rahmat Shah hits the fifth ball for a four, sublime timing, through cover. Nine runs from the over. AFG-49/1 after 11 overs. They need 263 runs.
7:52 PM IST: Kemar Roach continues. Ikram Ali Khil, 18, hits the first ball for a four over the bowler's head. Fascinating stuff. He plays the second ball past the fumbling point fielder for a double. Seven runs from the over. AFG-44/1 after ten overs.
7:48 PM IST: Bowling change. Oshane Thomas, right-arm fast bowler, on. Three runs from the over. AFG-37/1 after nine overs.
7:44 PM IST: Kemar Roach on with his fourth over. Rahmat Shah plays the fourth ball beautifully for a four past square leg. A flick with supreme class. Five runs from the over. AFG-34/1 after eight overs.
Chris Gayle taking the field in his last World Cup match. AP Photo
7:40 PM IST: Sheldon Cottrell continues. A wide, then Rahmat Shah hits the first legal delivery for a four through cover. Rahmat ends the finishes off the over with another four, to mid-on. 10 runs from the over. AFG-29/1 after seven overs. They need 283 runs.
7:36 PM IST: Kemar Roach continues. Three runs from the over. AFG-19/1 after six overs.
7:32 PM IST: Sheldon Cottrell continues. Ikram Ali Khil hits the fourth ball for a four to fine leg. Five runs from the over. AFG-16/1 after five overs. They need 296 runs.
7:27 PM IST: Kemar Roach on with his second over. A maiden over to Ikram Ali Khil.
7:23 PM IST: Sheldon Cottrell continues. Three singles from his second over. AFG-11/1 after three overs.
Over and out! Skipper Gulbadin Naib's testing World Cup is over. AP Photo
7:20 PM IST: Kemar Roach, right-arm fast bowler, on with the second over. Gulbadin Naib hits the second ball for a four, over square leg. Then holes out at mid-wicket, catch taken by Evin Lewis. He made five off six. Ikram Ali Khil, left-handed batsman, is the new man. Seven runs from the over. AFG-8/1 after two overs.
7:14 PM IST: Sheldon Cottrell, left-arm fast, on with the first over of the innings. A single off the third ball as Gulbadin Naib plays it to square leg. Rahmat Shah is Naib opening partner.
West Indies Innings
6:39 PM IST: Sayed Shirzad on with the last over. A deadly mix-up as Jason Holder fails to respond to Nicholas Pooran's call from the non-striker's end. Ikram Ali Khil relays the ball to Shirzad and the bowler, despite initial fumble, completes an easy run-out. Pooran made 58 off 42. Carlos Brathwaite, right-handed batsman, is the new man/. Holder holes out the very next ball at deep square leg. Catch taken by Dawlat Zadran. Holder made 45 off 34. Fabian Allen, also a right-handed batsman, joins Brathwaite. A dot, then Brathwaite hits the fourth ball for a six over long-off. Then, a four to third man. And Gulbadin Naib drops a Brathwaite skier at long-off, with the ball trickling down the boundary. 14 runs from the over. WI-311/6.
6:31 PM IST: Dawlat Zadran on with his ninth over. Jason Holder hits the first ball for a six, over deep mid-wicket. A dot, then a single. Nicholas Pooran hits the fourth ball for a six, over long-on, even with a mistimed shot. Then five wides as Afghan wicket-keeper Ikram Ali Khil makes a mess of the swinging bouncer. And that brings up a 100-run stand in 66 deliveries for Pooran and Holder. A double to mid-wicket to end the 20-run over. WI-297/4 after 49 overs.
6:25 PM IST: Mujeeb Ur Rahman returns for his last over. Two singles, then Nicholas Pooran misses a widish delivery. Three runs off the next ball after Pooran plays over point. Jason Holder pushing for every run and fifty for Pooran, in 40 balls. Holder steers the fifth ball for a four to third man. One leg bye and 10 runs from it. Mujeeb's figures: 0/52. WI-277/4 after 48 overs. 58 runs from the last five overs.
6:22 PM IST: Dawlat Zadran returns for his eighth over. Two singles the Nicholas Pooran picks the slower ball and beats the long-on fielder for a four. A single, then Jason Holder clubs the fifth ball for a six. Clubbed! Holder plays straight and deflection from the bowler's foot, and the sneak double even as Zadran dismantles the wickets at bowler's end even before the ball arrives. 15 runs from the over. WI-267/4 after 47 overs.
6:14 PM IST: Rashid Khan on with his last over. A wide to Jason Holder, down the leg, to start. Two singles, then a wide. Then a single off the fourth ball. Another single. And a dot to end the over. Six runs from it. Rashid's figures: 1/52. Six wickets in nine matches. WI-252/4 after 46 overs.
6:11 PM IST: Mujeeb Ur Rahman returns for his ninth over. Jason Holder hits the second ball for a huge six, some 98 metres, over cow corner. Nicholas Pooran hits the fourth and sixth balls for fours. 16 runs from the over. WI-246/4 after 45 overs.
6:08 PM IST: Rashid Khan on with his penultimate over. Jason Holder, after getting a top edge off the previous delivery, hits the fifth ball for a six over long-off. 11 runs from the over. WI-230/4 after 44 overs.
6:04 PM IST: Mujeeb Ur Rahman returns for his eighth over. Nicholas Pooran smashes the first ball for a four, over cover. Good comeback from Mujeeb. Three singles more and seven runs from the over. WI-219/4 after 43 overs. 27 runs from the last five overs.
6:01 PM IST: Rashid Khan returns for his eighth over. Three singles from it. WI-212/4 after 42 overs.
5:57 PM IST: Sayed Shirzad on with his seventh over. Nicholas Pooran pulls the third ball for a four behind square. Nine runs from the over. WI-209/4 after 41 overs.
5:50 PM IST: Mohammad Nabi on with his last over. Four runs from it. His figures: 1/56. WI-200/4 after 40 overs.
5:47 PM IST: Sayed Shirzad returns for his sixth over. Four runs from it. Nicholas Pooran dropped at short midwicket. WI-196/4 after 39 overs.
5:41 PM IST: Mohammad Nabi returns for his ninth over. Shai Hope hits the first ball for a four, through mid-off. Another four, to long-off. A dot, then the wicket. Hope (77 off 92) holes out at deep mid-wicket. Rashid Khan takes the catch. FoW-192/4 (37.4 overs). Jason Holder, right-handed batsman, is the new man. Eight runs from the over. WI-192/4 after 38 overs.
5:35 PM IST: Dawlat Zadran continues. Huge LBW shout against Shai Hope off the fifth ball, but missing the leg stump. Four runs from the over. WI-184/7 after 37 overs.
5:31 PM IST: Rashid Khan on with his seventh over. Two runs from it. WI-180/3 after 36 overs. 28 runs from the last five overs.
5:28 PM IST: Dawlat Zadran on with his sixth over. Shai Hope hits the third ball for a six. Zadran then removes Shimron Hetmyer (39 off 31), caught by sub Noor Ali at mid-wicket. FoW-174/3 (34.5 overs). Drinks. Nicholas Pooran, left-handed batsman, is the new man. He hits the last ball for a four, to deep mid-wicket. 13 runs from the over. WI-178/3 after 35 overs.
5:19 PM IST: Rashid Khan returns for his sixth over. Samiullah Shinwari drops a skier at mid-wicket off the last ball as Shimron Hetmyer survives. Five runs from the over. WI-165/2 after 34 overs.
5:14 PM IST: Sayed Shirzad on with his fifth over. Seven runs from it, including two singles, two doubles and a leg bye (after hitting Shai Hope's stomach, off the first ball). WI-160/2 after 33 overs. And, Hope and Shimron Hetmyer have added 50 runs in 49 balls.
5:10 PM IST: Mujeeb Ur Rahman returns for his seventh over. Shai Hope takes a single off the last ball. One run from the over. WI-153/2 after 32 overs.
5:07 PM IST: Sayed Shirzad on with his fourth over. Five singles from it. WI-152/2 after 31 overs.
5:03 PM IST: Mohammad Nabi on with his eighth over. Singles off the first two balls, and fifty for Shai Hope, in 65 balls. Shimron Hetmyer hits the next ball for a six, over midwicket. A dot then a review for stumping off the last ball. Hetmyer survives. Eight runs from the over. WI-147/2 after 30 overs.
4:58 PM IST: Sayed Shirzad returns for his third over. Shimron Hetmyer hits the fifth ball for a four to fine leg. Six runs from the over. WI-139/2 after 29 overs.
4:52 PM IST: Mohammad Nabi continues with his seventh over. Shimron Hetmyer hits the first and fourth balls for fours. 12 runs from the over. WI-133/2 after 28 overs.
4:48 PM IST: Rashid Khan on with his fifth over. Shai Hope cuts the fourth ball for a four, behind point. WI-121/2 after 27 overs.
4:45 PM IST: Mohammad Nabi continues. Shimron Hetmyer hits the fifth ball for a six, over long-off boundary. Eight runs from the over. WI-117/2 after 26 overs.
Wish I Could Fly! Rashid Khan finally enjoys. AP Photo
4:42 PM IST: Rashid Khan continues. Shai Hope hits the first two balls for fours, then a single. A dot then, Evin Lewis (58 off 78) fails to time his pull shot. Caught at long-on by Mohammad Nabi. FoW-109/2 (24.5 overs). Shimron Hetmyer, left-handed batsman, is the new man. Nine runs from the over. WI-109/2 after 25 overs.
4:38 PM IST: Mujeeb Ur Rahman continues. Three runs from it, but one probing over. Evin Lewis survives an LBW review, thanks to umpire's call off the last ball. WI-100/1 after 24 overs.
4:34 PM IST: Rashid Khan on with his third over. Evin Lewis hits the second ball for a four, through square leg. Six runs from the over. WI-97/1 after 23 overs. 16 runs from the last five overs.
4:31 PM IST: Mujeeb Ur Rahman returns for his fifth over. Three singles from it. WI-91/1 after 22 overs.
4:28 PM IST: Mohammad Nabi on with his fifth over. Two singles from it. WI-88/1 after 21 overs.
4:25 PM IST: Rashid Khan on with his second over. Four singles. Fifty for Evin Lewis. WI-86/1 after 20 overs.
4:21 PM IST: Mohammad Nabi on with his fourth over. A single off the first ball, then Evin Lewis blocks the next five balls. WI-82/1 after 19 overs.
4:19 PM IST: Rashid Khan, leg-spinner, resumes the proceedings after the break. Thre runs from the over. WI-81/1 after 18 overs.
4:12 PM IST: Mohammad Nabi on with his third over. Two singles from the over. WI-78/1 after 17 overs. Evin Lewis (48 off 55) and Shai Hope (21 off 29) have added 57 runs in 69 balls. Drinks.
4:09 PM IST: Gulbadin Naib continues. Three singles from the over. WI-76/1 after 16 overs.
4:05 PM IST: Mohammad Nabi on with his second over. Shai Hope hits the first ball for a six, straight. Eight runs from the over. WI-73/1 after 15 overs.
4:01 PM IST: Gulbadin Naib continues. Evin Lewis hits the fourth and fifth balls for a four and six. 12 runs from the over. WI-65/1 after 14 overs.
3:57 PM IST: Double bowling change. Mohammad Nabi, off-spinner, on. Three singles from the over. WI-53/1 after 13 overs.
3:53 PM IST: Bowling change. Skipper Gulbadin Naib on with his right-arm medium pace. Three runs from the over. WI-50/1 after 12 overs.
3:49 PM IST: Sayed Shirzad on with his second over. Four singles from it. WI-47/1 after 11 overs.
3:43 PM IST: Dawlat Zadran on with his fifth over. A maiden over to Evin Lewis. WI-43/1 after 10 overs.
3:39 PM IST: Bowling change. Sayed Shirzad, left-arm medium pacer, on. A dot off his first World Cup ball. Then, A six as Shai Hope hoicks the second ball for a six over deep square-leg boundary. Eight runs from the over. WI-43/1 after nine overs.
3:33 PM IST: Dawlat Zadran continues. Rashid Khan drops a straight-forward catch at mid-wicket, off the first ball as Shai Hoped gently flicks it. Rashid was moved to the midwicket just before the ball, and what. Evin Lewis hits the last ball for a four, to fine leg. Seven runs from the over. WI-35/1 after eight overs.
3:28 PM IST: Mujeeb Ur Rahman continues. Three runs from the over. WI-28/1 after seven overs.
Sad end! Emotionless Chris Gayle walks back. AP Photo
3:24 PM IST: Dawlat Zadran continue and a rush of blood from Chris Gayle (7 off 18). Wild swing to a moving delivery, and caught behind. FoW-21/1 (5.3). Shai Hope, right-handed batsman, in the new man. Five runs from the over. WI-25/1 after six overs.
3:19 PM IST: Mujeeb Ur Rahman continues. Evin Lewis hits the second ball for a four, to third man. Five runs from the over. WI-20/0 after five overs.
3:15 PM IST: Dawlat Zadran continues. Chris Gayle hits the fourth ball for a four, playing over mid-on. Or risking! WI-15/0 after four overs.
3:11 PM IST: Mujeeb Ur Rahman, the off-spinner, continues. Evin Lewis hits the fourth ball for a four, through covers. Five runs from the over. WI-11/0 after three overs.
Meanwhile, here's what Shane Warne is up to!
Former Australian cricketer Shane Warne plays during the first day of the World Series of Poker main event Wednesday, July 3, 2019, in Las Vegas. AP Photo
3:08 PM IST: Dawlat Zadran, right-arm fast medium pacer, on. Chris Gayle takes a single off the first ball, then Shai Hope flicks the last ball for a four to fine leg. Five runs from the over. WI-6/0 after two overs.
Universe Boss warming up! AP Photo
3:03 PM IST: Prodigious Mujeeb Ur Rahman opens the proceedings. Almost a maiden over to Chris Gayle. The Windies great takes a single off the last ball.
2:40 PM IST: Two changes each for both the sides. Evin Lewis and Kemar Roach come in for Sunil Ambris and Shannon Gabriel for the Windies, Dawlat Zadran and Sayed Shirzad in for Hamid Hassan and Hashmatullah Shahidi.
Afghanistan: Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib (c), Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shinwari, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Ali Khil (wk), Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Sayed Shirzad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
West Indies: Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran, Jason Holder (c), Carlos Brathwaite, Fabian Allen, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas, Kemar Roach
2:33 PM IST: Windies captain Jason Holder wins the toss, and opts to bat first.
2:27 PM IST: By the way, numbers don't lie. They are the two lowest-ranked teams, coming through the qualifiers, and now, they will finish as the two bottom teams. Toss coming up.
2:23 PM IST: Squads -
Afghanistan: Gulbadin Naib (c), Noor Ali Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah (wk), Asghar Afghan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran, Samiullah Shinwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Ikram Ali Khil
West Indies: Jason Holder (c), Chris Gayle, Kemar Roach, Darren Bravo, Sunil Ambris, Shai Hope (wk), Sheldon Cottrell, Evin Lewis, Shannon Gabriel, Carlos Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse, Shimron Hetmyer, Fabian Allen, Oshane Thomas, Nicholas Pooran
2:17 PM IST: Key quotes -
"Obviously we're not happy losing games. But we started to build something, and once we can remain patient, we can keep building. Young players are coming through, and once that keeps happening then things will get a lot better," West Indies assistant coach Roddy Estwick.
"We played last four, five games quite well. I'm happy with the performance of the team. It's all depending on our batting strength: if you've not batted well, maybe it's difficult for bowlers to defend a small total," Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib.
2:14 PM IST: Here are some key stats -
- Chris Gayle is set to play his 295th ODI, equaling Brian Lara for joint-most caps in the history of the format for the Windies.
- Sheldon Cottrell, who claimed 12 wickets in eight matches, is the highest wicket-taker for West Indies in this World Cup.
- Najibullah Zadran, who scored 199 runs in seven matches, is the highest run-getter for Afghanistan in this World Cup.
- Afghanistan have won three of their previous four completed ODIs against West Indies, including two World Cup qualifiers in Harare last year.
- West Indies have played five ODIs at Headingley, losing three and winning two of those matches.
2:08 PM IST: Here's a quick recap of what happened yesterday. England showed, once again, their title credentials by thrashing New Zealand. The win helped England qualify for the semifinals for the first time since 1992, and it left a ripple effect, reaching Pakistan.
Yes, it's about Gayle. The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 will be the last for some brilliant players like MS Dhoni, Hashim Amla, Shoaib Malik, Ross Taylor, Shakib Al Hasan, etc. But only a few of these players match Gayle's persona and when the ‘big guy’ plays his 35th and last Cup game in Leeds, the world will hope for a fitting farewell. With the match holding only academic value, it's only pertinent that players themselves are likely to make the encounter a memorable one.
The match, however, presents a golden opportunity for Afghanistan to register their first win of the tournament. They came close to beating India and Pakistan in their last two matches. However, their inability to cash in on crucial junctures denied them the chance of causing what would have been the biggest upsets in this edition.
While the spinners -- Mujeeb ur Rahman, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi -- have lived up to their reputation with consistent performances throughout the tournament, their fast bowlers and the batting unit have failed to contribute significantly to the team's cause.
However, against the Windies, they are a different beast – confident and ready to produce their best.
West Indies, on the other hand, have failed to produce an all-round performance, barring their opening match victory against Pakistan where they bundled out the 1992 champions for 105.
The batsmen have failed to contribute consistently and the bowlers too have been found wanting when it mattered, often coming out with only one plan.
Despite some good individual performances, West Indies have failed to work as a team. But, they can end what has been a disappointing tournament on a high.
