2022 T20 World Cup, England hammer Afghanistan: Key stats
England overcame Afghanistan by five wickets to kickstart their 2022 ICC T20 World Cup with a win under their belt. All-rounder Sam Curran's five-fer proved to be the deciding factor as the Afghans perished on 112. Ibrahim Zadran (32) top-scored for Mohammad Nabi's men. Chasing 113, England were reduced to 97/5 but eventually prevailed, thanks to Liam Livingstone (29*). Here's more.
How did the match pan out?
Put to bat, Afghanistan lost Rahmanullah Gurbaz quite early, with Hazratullah Zazai following suit right after the PP overs. Besides Ibrahim, Usman Ghani (30) fared well as they helped the Afghans get past 100. Ben Stokes and Mark Wood chipped in with two wickets apiece. Afghan spinners made the chase tricky for England but the effort wasn't enough as the Three Lions prevailed (113/5).
Ibrahim keeps the score ticking for Afghans
Ibrahim opted for a cautious approach for the bulk of the duration before perishing on a slower one from Curran bowled outside off. He managed a 32-ball 32, striking three fours and a six in his maiden innings against England. Overall, the right-hander now owns 333 runs in 14 matches, averaging a healthy 30.27.
Stokes' career-best figures against Afghanistan
Stokes, who featured in only three T20Is in 2022 prior to this fixture, showcased why he's a clutch campaigner in ICC events. He broke the 24-run stand between Hazratullah Zazai and Ibrahim to eventually wind up with 2/19 in four overs. It's his career-best against Afghanistan in T20I cricket. He now has 22 scalps in the format at an economy of 8.52.
A sorry tale for Afghans
Afghanistan were completely beaten on the batting front as they compiled a sorry 112. As per ESPNcricinfo, it's their second-lowest total against England in T20Is, after 80 all out in 2012.
Maiden five-wicket haul for Curran in T20Is
Slow and short-ball ploys worked for Curran as he wound up with his maiden five-fer in T20Is. He now has 33 scalps, averaging 22.84. According to ESPNcricinfo, he has become the first English bowler (men's) to take a five-fer in T20Is and third overall, besides Anya Shrubsole (5/11 vs NZ, 2012) and Jenny Gunn (5/18 vs NZ, 2013).
Wood continues tormenting the rivals
Wood, who claimed laud-worthy figures of 2/23, has been all class since returning from his elbow injury. He aced the show in Pakistan T20Is, clipping six scalps at under 8.00, followed by three wickets against the Aussies. As per ESPNcricinfo, Wood now has 36 wickets at 19.83, equalling Zimbabwe's Blessing Muzarabani, and the Australian duo of Glenn Maxwell and James Faulkner.
Most ducks in T20 history
Curran made light work of Rashid Khan (0) on the last ball of the 18th over. As per ESPNcricinfo, Rashid registered his 37th duck in T20s, the most by any cricketer in the 20-over format. He beat West Indies legend Sunil Narine (36) to claim this unwanted record.
Fourth-best bowling figures in T20 World Cup
Curran has now recorded the fourth-best bowling figures in ICC T20 World Cup. Ajantha Mendis (6/8), Rangana Herath (5/3), and Umar Gul (5/6) have recorded better tallies. Curran is also the 10th bowler to claim a fifer in the T20 World Cup.
