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Afghanistan keep semifinal hopes alive with big win
Afghanistan rose up to fifth above Pakistan – even if only temporarily – and kept their semifinal hopes alive with a big seven-wicket win over Netherlands in Lucknow. After spin and excellent ground fielding helped them keep Netherlands down to just 179, Rahmat Shah and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi hit fifties to power the run chase that was capped off in the 32nd over.
Netherlands had very little to bowl with but made a promising start when Logan van Beek had Rahmanullah Gurbaz caught behind down the leg side in just the sixth over. Ibrahim Zadran, his opening partner, made a slow start but Rahmat Shah walked out and took control of the proceedings. He went after Paul van Meekeren in his first over, hitting him for three fours – one streaky, two glorious – and taking Afghanistan to 55 for 1 in 10 overs. Roelof van der Merwe cleaned up Zadran on the first ball after the PowerPlay, but that brought Rahmat and his captain, Shahidi, together for the match-winning stand.
Scott Edwards needed more wickets and quickly if he planned on making the chase any tougher for Afghanistan and brought back Aryan Dutt, one of his best bowlers in the tournament. But batting just got easier under lights and the two batters saw past the young spinner and every other bowling change to put Afghanistan on course for a victory. By the 20th over, Rahmat reached his half-century and took the team past the 100-run mark. Leg spinner Saqib Zulfiqar, playing in his first World Cup game, found a breakthrough against the run of play when he had Rahmat caught off his own bowling. But the wicket was too little, too late as Azmatullah Omarzai joined Shahidi to take the team home. En route to Afghanistan’s fourth victory of the tournament, Shahidi scored a solid half-century and got the winning runs.
Earlier in the day, his bowlers brought all the solidity that was needed to tie down Netherlands who opted to bat first. Mujeeb Ur Rahman struck in the very first over to remove Wesley Barresi – trapped leg before – to add a 100th ODI wicket to his name. Max O’Dowd then threw caution to the wind with a stroke-filled essay that included him getting nine fours inside the PowerPlay. However, his good work was undone by a brilliant moment on the field from Omarzai, whose direct hit from fine leg sent the opener packing for 42 off 40 balls.
Colin Ackermann and Sybrand Engelbrecht then took it upon themselves to drag Netherlands ahead but a miscommunication on a call for a run led to the former’s run out on 29. Netherlands were truly shaken when captain Edwards became the third run out victim as he went for a sweep, missed and ventured out of the crease unaware of where the ball had gone off the inside edge. As it turned out, it went only as far as wicketkeeper Ikram Ali Khil, who took the bails off on what turned out to be a very busy innings for him.
Netherlands were on a downward spiral since soaring in the first PowerPlay, as they lost their fifth wicket in the 21st over when Bas de Leede was caught behind off Nabi. While Netherlands batters were carefully trying to play out Rashid Khan, Hashmatullah Shahidi introduced his left-handed clone – Noor Ahmad in the 24th over. Saqib Zulfiqar became Noor’s first wicket in the evening when he nicked one to Ali Khil while trying to cut a straight delivery outside the off-stump.
Engelbrecht made up for the earlier mishap that led to Ackermann’s dismissal by scoring a gritty half-century, but he then became the fourth batter to get run out when he took on the arm of Nabi at midwicket. The lower-order couldn’t sustain much longer after Engelbrecht’s exit, as they folded in the 48th over. In what was a poor half of cricket for Netherlands, Afghanistan earned themselves a World Cup stat – the lowest they’ve bowled out an opposition for in the 50-over tournament.
Brief Scores:
Netherland 179 in 46.3 overs (Sybrand Engelbrecht 58, Max O’Dowd 42, Colin Ackerman 29; Mohammad Nabi 3-28, Noor Ahmad 2-31) lost to Afghanistan 181/3 in 31.3 overs (Hashmatullah Shahidi 56*, Rahmat Shah 52, Ibrahim Zadran 20, Azmathullah Omarzai 31*; Roelof van der Merwe 1-27) by 7 wickets
Jos Buttler has been ruled out of England’s ODI series decider against Sri Lanka at The Oval on Sunday, with Jordan Cox likely to replace him and keep wicket. Don Lawrence who is yet to win an international cap in either white-ball format, has been called up to the squad as cover.
Buttler pulled up with a left hamstring injury while running between the wickets in Thursday’s second ODI at Headingley and received treatment from England physio Steve Haw, a recent recruit from rugby union club Exeter Chiefs. He faced two more balls before retiring hurt, and briefly hobbled back to the middle before holing out as England slipped to a 16-run defeat.
Buttler’s eventual 69 was his highest score in ODIs in three years, but his injury will be something of a concern. He is now 36, and has been affected by various soft-tissue injuries in recent years. These have mainly been calf injuries, but he also suffered a similar left-hamstring issue during the 2024 IPL season.
England do not yet know the extent of Buttler’s injury but expect to have more information early next week once he has been for an MRI scan.
In Buttler’s absence, Cox is likely to win only his fourth ODI cap on Sunday and is expected to take the gloves ahead of Tom Banton. Kevin Pietersen, England’s new white-ball mentor, said on Thursday night that opportunities available through injuries would help build depth ahead of next year’s World Cup.
“[We need to] have certain players in certain positions, in order for us to know that if something like this happens to Jos in, say, the final round of whatever game in South Africa, and you’ve got to go and play a quarter-final, that somebody can step up into Jos’s boots – like we’re going to need to have on Sunday,” Pietersen said.
Lawrence, who made three half-centuries in four innings in England’s recent Test series win over Pakistan, has been withdrawn from Surrey’s ongoing Country Championship match at Somerset, having made his sixth hundred of the season on Thursday. He will train with the ODI squad at The Oval on Saturday.
Lawrence was previously called up to England’s ODI squad to face Pakistan in 2021 when their first-choice side went into Covid isolation, but did not play a game in the series. He has only played 28 List A games in his career, the most recent of them in May 2019.
(Cricinfo)
Tens of millions of people across the north-eastern US are in the path of a powerful storm bringing coastal flooding, power cuts, travel chaos and cancelled stadium events.
The so-called nor’easter is bringing “dangerous coastal flooding and beach conditions, strong winds and heavy rainfall” to areas including New York City and Boston on Saturday, the US National Weather Service (NWS) said.
States of emergency have been declared in New York and New Jersey, both of which faced a coastal deluge in some areas. Rain and strong winds are forecast from Virginia to Maine.
Ed Sheeran’s much-awaited Boston concert was among events called off due to the weather.
Residents on kayaks in a Beach Haven West, New Jersey, neighbourhood (BBC)The nor’easter caused widespread power cuts. More than 100,000 households, nearly all in the northeast US, have lost electricity, according to tracker PowerOutage.
The Federal Aviation Administration recommended air passengers check with airlines about their flight status. More than 2,400 flights have been delayed and another 1,199 grounded, according to FlightAware.
Saturday’s full moon is projected to worsen coastal flooding. Streets and homes were inundated with floodwater in the coastal New Jersey communities of Surf City and Manasquan on Saturday.
“I urge all New Jerseyans to take this storm seriously, stay alert and follow local guidance,” Governor Mikie Sherrill said.
NWS said in its alert: “Prepare immediately for significant inundation in low-lying areas near the shore, including roads underwater and impacts to homes and businesses.”
In New York, officials are warning of wind gusts of up to 55mph (86km/h) throughout the weekend, leading to downed trees and power lines
“Don’t travel if you don’t have to,” NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani told residents in a video message. “Do not drive or walk through floodwater.”
In the Boston area, the Red Sox moved the last game in their series against the Chicago Cubs to Sunday afternoon in Florida.
A professional football match between Red Bull New York and St Louis City SC was also cancelled.
(BBC)
US President Donald Trump has rejected an Iranian proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping within a week
He told reporters at the White House that Tehran “want to make a deal where they open the Strait immediately because they’re losing so badly”.
In a post on Telegram, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged Trump’s comments, but said Tehran would wait for an official response from mediators.
On Friday, Araghchi had told reporters at the UN in New York that an agreement could be reached “if the necessary conditions are met” and that these were contained in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the two countries in June.
The vital waterway through which around a fifth of the world’s gas and oil supply usually flows has been effectively closed since the outbreak of war in February.
“I’m rejecting their deal,” Trump said on Saturday, adding that the US already had “total control” of the strait, with “massive amounts of oil” passing through it.
“They want to make a deal, and I think that’s fine. I like making a deal, too. But that deal would not be acceptable,” he added.
Araghchi wrote that Trump “has made many good statements, as well as many contradictory ones, which unfortunately we hear frequently.”
He added that he would await the “definitive views” of mediators, and that Tehran “will make a decision based on that.”
On Friday the Wall Street Journal cited officials as saying Trump was sceptical that Iran would meet his demands and had told his staff that he saw a renewed bombing campaign as probable.
Iran responded to US and Israeli air strikes, beginning in late February, by attacking Israel and US bases in the Gulf and Arab Gulf allies of the US – as well as blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Its closure has caused wild fluctuations of energy prices.
The economic effects have also increased pressure on Trump to find a way of ending the conflict – particularly as the US heads towards Congressional elections in November.
(BBC)
Buttler out of Oval decider as Lawrence earns ODI call-up
Showers will occur in the Western, Eastern, Uva and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts.
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