Highlights, Afghanistan vs New Zealand, ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Match, Full Cricket Score: Williamson guides Kiwis to 7-wicket win

Jimmy Neesham is Man of the Match for taking 5 for 31

Neesham: Very pleased with my performance. Afghanistan put us under pressure very early with the bat, but we knew we had the ability to dent them even after the start they got.

After 32.1 overs,New Zealand 173/3 ( Kane Williamson (C) 79 , Tom Latham (W) 13)

NEW ZEALAND WIN! Kane Williamson fittingly collects the winning single with a pull behind square! As comprehensive a win as it can get for the Black Caps, with seven wickets and a little under 18 overs left!

After 32 overs,New Zealand 172/3 ( Kane Williamson (C) 78 , Tom Latham (W) 13)

Single collected off each off the first four deliveries, levelling the scores, followed by a dot off each of the last two deliveries. New Zealand need just one more run to collect their third win in as many games.

After 31 overs,New Zealand 168/3 ( Kane Williamson (C) 77 , Tom Latham (W) 11)

Williamson and Latham are doing it in singles at the moment, with six of them coming off this over. NZ need five to win now. Just one hit over the boundary should do it.

After 30 overs,New Zealand 162/3 ( Kane Williamson (C) 74 , Tom Latham (W) 8)

Hamid Hassan is brought back into the attack. Williamson collects a boundary off the first ball, flicking it through the midwicket region. Williamson then dispatches what is the 20000th delivery he has faced in his international career through square leg for a single. Seven off the over. NZ need 11 to win from 20 overs.

After 29 overs,New Zealand 155/3 ( Kane Williamson (C) 68 , Tom Latham (W) 8)

Big over for New Zealand, with 12 runs coming off it, including back-to-back fours to Williamson, both going through the cover region. The Black Caps are nearly home now. NZ need 18 to win from 21 overs.

After 28 overs,New Zealand 143/3 ( Kane Williamson (C) 58 , Tom Latham (W) 6)

Williamson sets off for a quick single off the second delivery. Appeal for lbw against Latham in the fourth delivery, one that is turned down and probably was pitching outside leg. Latham collects a single off the fifth ball. Just two off Alam’s seventh over. NZ need 30 to win from 22 overs.

Ross Taylor getting out in the 40s is very unusual. The last time he got out between 40 and 50 was in the Champions Trophy in 2017.

Since then he’s scored 50 or more 15 times.

After 27 overs,New Zealand 141/3 ( Kane Williamson (C) 57 , Tom Latham (W) 5)

Naib returns to the attack in the 27th over, conceding seven off this one, including a couple of doubles to Williamson. NZ need 32 to win from 23 overs.

After 26 overs,New Zealand 134/3 ( Kane Williamson (C) 51 , Tom Latham (W) 4)

Single collected off each of the first two balls. Taylor collects a boundary off the third delivery, one that is a result of a misfield by Zazai at fine leg. The Afghans then celebrate after the dismissal of Ross Taylor, who misses a low full toss from the pacer. Latham walks out to bat, and gets off the mark with a boundary off his second delivery. 10 runs and a wicket from the over. NZ need 39 to win from 24 overs.

OUT! Alam finally breaks the stand, with Taylor missing a low full toss from the pacer that goes on to hit the base of his off stump. Some respite for the Afghans, although they’ll need a flurry of wickets from here, including that of the set captain, if they are to turn the game on its head. NZ 130/3

Taylor b Alam 48(52)

After 25 overs,New Zealand 124/2 ( Kane Williamson (C) 50 , Ross Taylor 43)

Taylor collects a six off the first delivery, the ball landing on the roof of the building beyond the midwicket fence, which requires a change of ball. Three singles collected off the next five deliveries, with Williamson collecting a brace off the last ball, bringing up his 38th ODI fifty in the process. 11 off the over, with NZ needing another 49 to win at the halfway stage in their innings. Looks like the veteran pair have decided to press the accelerator now with a handful of runs left to chase down.

After 24 overs,New Zealand 113/2 ( Kane Williamson (C) 47 , Ross Taylor 35)

Rahmat collects three dots, conceding back-to-back singles, followed by a boundary to Williamson off the last delivery of the over. NZ need 60 to win from 26 overs.

After 23 overs,New Zealand 107/2 ( Kane Williamson (C) 42 , Ross Taylor 34)

Six off the over, including a boundary to Taylor off the penultimate delivery, which is the result of a top edge that sends the ball flying high over the keeper. NZ need 66 to win from 27 overs.

After 22 overs,New Zealand 101/2 ( Kane Williamson (C) 41 , Ross Taylor 29)

Four singles collected off Rahmat’s fourth over. Meanwhile the 100’s up for the Black Caps in the 22nd over. NZ need 72 to win from 28 overs.

After 21 overs,New Zealand 97/2 ( Kane Williamson (C) 39 , Ross Taylor 27)

Kane Williamson brings up the fifty stand with a boundary through cover off the first delivery, which is also a no-ball. The NZ skipper though, collects only a single in the free hit. Eight off the over. NZ need 76 to win off 29 overs.

After 20 overs,New Zealand 89/2 ( Kane Williamson (C) 33 , Ross Taylor 26)

Tidy over from Rahmat, with just one run coming off it. New Zealand, meanwhile, are cruising towards the target right now, with the required rate below three at the moment. Wickets the need of the hour for the Afghans.

Kane Williamson has really struggled to deal with the field that India used against him in the recent tour. 

By putting in a wide slip, captains are cutting off one of his favourite ways of accumulating runs. 

The result has been that his strike rate has really dropped. In his last two series his strike rate has been in the low 70’s, and it’s closer to 50 in this world cup so far. 

He will need to find an answer to that strategy soon.

After 19 overs,New Zealand 88/2 ( Kane Williamson (C) 32 , Ross Taylor 26)

Taylor collects a single off the first delivery. Williamson charges down the track in the second delivery, pulling the ball towards the midwicket fence for a boundary. Another wide called for height in the delivery after the boundary. KW collects a single off the penultimate ball. Seven off the over.

After 18 overs,New Zealand 81/2 ( Kane Williamson (C) 27 , Ross Taylor 25)

Six off the over, including a boundary to Taylor off the fourth delivery in which the ball slips past Hamid Hassan at sweeper cover. Six off the over.

After 17 overs,New Zealand 75/2 ( Kane Williamson (C) 26 , Ross Taylor 20)

Four off Hamid’s fifth over, including a wide off the second delivery that is called out for height. Taylor and Williamson, meanwhile, taking the easy approach at the moment.

After 16 overs,New Zealand 71/2 ( Kane Williamson (C) 24 , Ross Taylor 20)

Rahmat Shah gets a bowl in the 16th over, conceding a boundary off his first delivery, coming off an outside edge off Taylor’s bat. Drinks brought out to the field now.

After 15 overs,New Zealand 67/2 ( Kane Williamson (C) 24 , Ross Taylor 16)

Taylor collects a single off the second delivery. Williamson then guides the ball towards deep midwicket, where the sweeper has to put in some agile work to save a couple of runs for the fielding side. Three off the over.

After 14 overs,New Zealand 64/2 ( Kane Williamson (C) 22 , Ross Taylor 15)

Williamson narrowly escapes a run out in the last ball of the over after a mix-up with Taylor, making it to the striker’s end in the last second. Three conceded by Nabi off his second over.