Geoff Lemon's match report
Summary
What an interesting night. The prelude was full of permutations and calculations, but when David Warner began in top gear everything seemed straightforward.
But sport fascinates us endlessly for its ability to surprise, and as Australia lost wickets at regular intervals and Afghanistan’s seamers delivered perfect yorkers and unpickable slower balls the night’s narrative swung wildly.
Glenn Maxwell ensured Australia retained the upper hand at the break, but the resounding triumph they required to heap pressure on England looked out of reach. Victory of any sort seemed at risk with Afghanistan at 99-2 but that man Maxwell wasn’t finished and his direct hit from long-off changed the night in an instant. Afghanistan went from trading blows with the champs to collapsing on the ropes, staggering to 103-6 in no time.
But still the night wasn’t through. Australia not only failed to mop up the tail and sneak a net run rate boost, they found Rashid Khan in an impish mood and the legspinning allrounder unfurled all manner of improbable strokes to clatter Afghanistan to within two balls of victory.
Now it’s over to England and Sri Lanka in Sydney to determine whether any of it mattered.
Thanks for joining me tonight. Stay tuned for plenty more from this enthralling competition.
Adam Zampa’s had a word with Australian TV.
We haven’t played our best cricket and we deserve to be in the position we are in at the moment.
We probably expected the net-run rate to come into the game if we got a score of 200 plus. Wadey said before we get out there let’s go for the win and if we knock a few over we can think about a net run rate.
We were a little surprised about the conditions. The wicket was slow in the day, then when the lights came and the dew came down it got better. We didn’t play our best cricket. Missed a few opportunities with the bat to get a big score. I know there was a period there where it looked like they were on top, we dragged it back and Rash nearly got them home. A good game of cricket.
Here’s how the Group 1 table looks with one match remaining. That match is England v Sri Lanka at 7pm local time in Sydney. England fans will be pleased to know the forecast is good.
A narrow win for Australia keeps their net run rate in the negative! 👀
— ICC (@ICC) November 4, 2022
If England beat Sri Lanka tomorrow, the hosts would miss a semi-final spot 😯#T20WorldCup 2022 Standings 👉 https://t.co/cjmWWRz68E#AUSvAFG pic.twitter.com/qCPzYznAz9
Glenn Maxwell Player of the Match
The most important batter on the night and the most decisive figure in the field with his brilliant run out.
Afghanistan depart the T20 World Cup the only nation not to win a match in the Super 12s, but they proved their value to world cricket tonight with an entertaining performance full of courage. If either or both of Gurbaz and Gulbadin had gone on to make a big score they may have got over the line. But then if that was the case maybe Rashid’s wild 48 from 23 doesn’t happen?
What does that all mean for Group 1?
New Zealand are through to the semi-finals
Sri Lanka, Ireland, and Afghanistan are eliminated
England will join New Zealand in the semis if they beat Sri Lanka in Sydney tomorrow. If they fail, Australia qualify
We can all forget about net run rate for a while
Australia prevail, just, and despite another below-par showing they are still in the running for the semi-finals.
Australia win by 4 runs
20th over: Afghanistan 164-7 (Rashid 48, Mujeeb 0) Rashid finishes with a flourish, pulling for a one-bounce four.
Such a valiant effort at the death.
Updated
19.5 over: Rashid goes big but can only sky an edge that lands safely. They earn two.
9 off one required.
19.4 over: SIX! Stoinis drops short and Rashid larrups the ball into the cheap seats.
11 off two required.
19.3 over: Decent connection but straight to long on. Rashid rejects the single.
19.2 over Stoinis leaks onto Rashid’s pads and the batter flicks the ball over short fine leg for four!
17 off four.
19.1 over: Rashid swings bit doesn’t connect, declining the single to retain strike.
WICKET! Darwish run out (Stoinis) 15 (Afghanistan 148-7)
19.0 over: Stoinis begins with a leg-side wide. Rashid scampers through to pinch the strike, Wade throws, misses, Stoinis gathers then throws down the non-striker’s end.
19th over: Afghanistan 147-6 (Darwish 15, Rashid 32) Wade throws the ball to Hazlewood, and he begins with a dot that flirts with a wide outside off stump, then a perfect straight yorker. Another wide dot has Rashid swinging himself off his feet but then he connects! It’s not pretty, but it’s SIX over midwicket to Rashid nonetheless. Can the momentum build? No; swing and a miss. But Rashid doesn’t take a backward step and he slaps a four straight back over the bowler’s head to close the over.
22 required from the final over.
Updated
18th over: Afghanistan 136-6 (Darwish 14, Rashid 24) More streaky swiping from Afghanistan’s lower order as the energy ebbs out of the contest. Until Rashid Khan goes SIX SIX that is. The first is blur of wrists that sends Richardson over square leg, then he leans back and spanks a biggie over long off.
33 off 12. They can’t, can they?
17th over: Afghanistan 120-6 (Darwish 12, Rashid 8) Afghanistan keep swinging but only one delivery from Cummins’s over reaches the boundary.
It's easy to say after the event, of course, but Australia might look back on tonight with regret: they probably could've front-loaded their batting & bowling more than they did in an effort to win the game by a bigger margin. #T20WorldCup
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) November 4, 2022
16th over: Afghanistan 112-6 (Darwish 5, Rashid 7) Rashid has tried to smash everything sent his way towards the James Webb telescope, but most of his swipes have resulted only in miscued edges. Richardson with a stock over. Australia grinding their way towards victory.
And that is that. With Afghanistan up to 108, Australia stay behind England on net run rate. Their only avenue to a semi-final is for Sri Lanka to win tomorrow. #T20WC
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 4, 2022
Updated
15th over: Afghanistan 106-6 (Darwish 3, Rashid 3) From 99-2 and in the mix for an almighty upset to 106-6. Cricket, eh?
WICKET! Nabi c Warner b Hazlewood 1 (Afghanistan 103-6)
Hazlewood returns as Australia look to polish things up quick-smart, and he strikes with his third delivery! That said, Nabi did all the hard work, shovelling an ugly bunt straight to Warner coming in from the midwicket fence. This is an abject collapse.
14th over: Afghanistan 101-5 (Nabi 0, Darwish 2) Well, that was the over that decides the result of this contest. Three wickets and Afghanistan have imploded in spectacular fashion. Well bowled Adam Zampa. Well fielded Glenn Maxwell.
WICKET! Najib c Maxwell b Zampa 0 (Afghanistan 99-5)
Oh Afghanistan, what are you doing!!?? Najib tries to send the second delivery of his knock over long-off and sticks a sitter down Maxwell’s throat.
WICKET! Ibrahim c Marsh b Zampa 0 (Afghanistan 99-4)
Two in two for Australia! Both set batsmen are gone in the blink of an eye. Ibrahim tried to sweep but could only top edge an easy lobbed catch to Marsh on the 45.
WICKET! Gulbadin run out (Maxwell) 39 (Afghanistan 99-3)
MAXWELLBALL!
Delight for Australia. Disaster for Afghanistan. Ibrahim drove Zampa to long off and after completing an easy single Gulbadin pushed for two but Maxwell’s mighty arm threw down the stumps from near the rope.
13th over: Afghanistan 98-2 (Ibrahim 25, Gulbadin 39) Wade turns to Cummins to make something happen and he almost does – twice - but chances to long-on and point both arrive on the half-volley. Nonetheless, Cummins’s pace and control exposes Ibrahim’s limitations with the Afghanistan No 3 unable to get much bat on anything sent his way, full or short.
Ibrahim needs to focus on strike rotation not slogging the best Test bowler in the game.
12th over: Afghanistan 96-2 (Ibrahim 24, Gulbadin 38) Richardson replaces Green but Gulbadin sends him the journey, picking up a length delivery and carting it just wide of the diving long-on. Then he stands his ground and edges through the vacant cordon to third for four. Now Ibrahim wants a piece of the action, stepping to leg and smiting Richardson in-to-out with precision over extra cover for four. Brilliant over from Afghanistan that has ignited this run-chase.
Pretty sure we can put calculators to bed now. Net run rate is no longer on the table.
11th over: Afghanistan 79-2 (Ibrahim 19, Gulbadin 27) Zampa continues after drinks. Afghanistan pick up seven easy runs with chanceless batting and hard running.
At the halfway mark of the run-chase things are not working out how Australia would have hoped. The massive victory to put pressure on England tomorrow now seems a long shot, and Afghanistan are still in with a shout tonight.
10th over: Afghanistan 72-2 (Ibrahim 15, Gulbadin 24) Green’s extra bounce imparts a ball shaped mark on Gulbadin’s inner thigh. Stung, the batter clears his front leg and slaps a tracer bullet of a six over cow corner. Now it’s Ibrahim’s turn to make attack the best form of defence, stepping to leg and getting a thin edge to an ugly mow that just evades Zampa at third.
9th over: Afghanistan 60-2 (Ibrahim 10, Gulbadin 17) Ibrahim gets moving again with an inside-edge for three off Zampa, a stroke that brings Gulbadin on strike and allows him to reach out and smoke a powerful cover drive for four.
8th over: Afghanistan 51-2 (Ibrahim 7, Gulbadin 11) Time for a fifth Australian right-arm over paceman in the form of Cameron Green, and the young allrounder begins well, conceding just one run. Gulbadin is responsible for that single but after he swipes away a straight delivery Ibrahim struggles against the tall bowler’s extra bounce. Ibrahim has stalled on seven from 15.
7th over: Afghanistan 50-2 (Ibrahim 7, Gulbadin 10) Wade turns to the spin of Adam Zampa for some wickets and the leggie hits his marks from the off, sending down four dots in a tight opening over.
6th over: Afghanistan 47-2 (Ibrahim 7, Gulbadin 7) The second edge through the slips for four of the innings sees Gulbadin get off the mark. An unconvincing straight drive for three adds further insult to Richardson’s figures.
WICKET! Gurbaz c Warner b Richardson 30 (Afghanistan 40-2)
Kane Richardson has his first bowl of the tournament, and his first delivery almost takes a wicket! Gurbaz tires to go over cow corner, gets under it, but despite the ball spending an age in the sky it lands just in front of the diving Green coming in off the midwicket fence. Green misjudged that in the air and should have done better.
Not to worry, Gurbaz aims another slog two balls later, to a delivery that wasn’t there, and succeeds only in bunting a simple catch to Warner at mid-off. There’s a fine line between controlled aggression and frantic slogging.
5th over: Afghanistan 38-1 (Gurbaz 29, Ibrahim 6) Marcus Stoinis comes on as first change but Michael Clarke on commentary is not happy with the field set by Matthew Wade. According to the former skipper everything is too passive and run-saving for a side desperate for wickets. He’s also not happy that Mitchell Starc has been dropped because it limits the pace attack to five similar right-armers. Afghanistan milk nine runs very professionally.
4th over: Afghanistan 29-1 (Gurbaz 25, Ibrahim 2) Cummins is too good for Ibrahim, making Afghanistan’s third right-hander fish repeatedly outside off stump then evade an effort ball that whistles past the batter’s chest. After the strike’s rotated Gurbaz charges at the paceman for a bottom-edged two, then holds his ground to winkle an outside edge to third for four. This is already an infuriating knock for Australia who need wickets quickly.
3rd over: Afghanistan 22-1 (Gurbaz 19, Ibrahim 1) After five deliveries Hazlewood’s over reads one run, one wicket, three dots, and it’s every inch a Test match spell. Then Gurbaz rocks back and feasts on a skerrick of length to smack a six over square leg. The sound off the bat was thrilling. They are undaunted Afghanistan.
WICKET! Ghani c Cummins b Hazlewood 2 (Afghanistan 15-1)
Hazlewood continues his right-arm over to the two right-handers and after two dots Ghani aims a wild hoick at a delivery homing in on the off bail, sending the ball high into the air for a bevy of fielders to fight over the catch. Cummins eventually takes command and completes the formalities. Very very very bad shot.
2nd over: Afghanistan 15-0 (Gurbaz 13, Ghani 2) Cummins shares the new ball and begins neatly but after three deliveries there’s a pause for Gurbaz to receive some treatment to his left shoulder. In rugby league it would be considered a stinger injury, the consequence of a minor collision with the bowler as he scampered through for a quick single. When play resumes Gurbaz ignores the pain, leans back and spanks a length delivery over the bowler’s head for three.
Updated
1st over: Afghanistan 10-0 (Gurbaz 10, Ghani 0) Hazlewood begins with his textbook line and length, testing the top of off stump and worrying the outside edge of Gurbaz’s bat. The Afghanistan opener tries to give himself room so the big paceman digs the ball into the surface and whistles one past the batter’s throat. Dot, dot, dot. This doesn’t look good for Gurbaz. lol. Four over cover then a massive six over square leg makes me eat my words. The first boundary was a streaky edge, the second was detonated. They only put bat on ball twice but Afghanistan are away.
Matthew Wade rallies his troops ahead of a vital hour of cricket. Gurbaz and Ghani are out in the middle. Hazlewood has the ball in his hands.
Now, onto the maths:
Australia need to restrict Afghanistan to 106 to move ahead of England's NRR, but realistically they need a 10/15 run cushion to protect against a narrow England win tomorrow. Australia have to attack with their deployment & field settings right from the start. #T20WorldCup
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) November 4, 2022
New Zealand have now officially qualified for the semi-finals. It was a formality after their victory over Ireland earlier today, but now Australia cannot beat Afghanistan by 185 that formality has been confirmed.
Afghanistan need 169 to win
That was most definitely not what Australia were looking for. On a blameless pitch they attacked hard from the off but failed to make their aggression count. David Warner looked in prime form before giving his wicket away, Mitchell Marsh demonstrated his power before falling, then Glenn Maxwell ran out of recognised partners at the death.
That should not take anything away from Afghanistan who bowled extremely well. Seamers Fazal and Naveen in particular excelled with changes of pace and well-executed yorkers, while Rashid’s reputation counted in his favour as a modest spell went unpunished.
20th over: Australia 168-8 (Maxwell 54, Zampa 1) Zampa squirts Fazal for a single to get off strike first ball, then Maxwell declines a rotation of strike after digging out a yorker. His decision pays off when he cracks a four through midwicket before rejecting his second single of the over. Another dot ball follows when Maxwell fails to connect with a switch-hit, but the innings ends with a conventional square drive for four.
WICKET! Richardson run out (Naveen) 1 (Australia 159-8)
Naveen ends his superb night with 3/22 and a run out. His final over is full of guile and bravery and goes for just four runs, ending with him fielding Maxwell’s drive, turning and throwing down the stumps with non-striker Richardson miles out of his ground.
19th over: Australia 159-8 (Maxwell 46, Zampa 0)
Some performance from Naveen-ul-Haq tonight. The Australian order coming at him looking for carnage, and he returns 3 for 21 plus a run out. #T20WC
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 4, 2022
Updated
WICKET! Cummins c Rashid b Naveen 0 (Australia 156-7)
Naveen’s brilliant night continues! A very short slower bouncer to Cummins and the Australian can’t generate enough pace on the upper cut to clear Rashid Khan who slides in from the cover boundary to take a smart catch.
Farooqi & Naveen are a lovely pace pairing. Swing & pace from Farooqi & deceptive slower balls from Naveen. If Afghanistan can find a high pace enforcer who can hit back of a length at good speed they've pretty much got every bowling base covered. #T20WorldCup
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) November 4, 2022
Updated
18th over: Australia 155-6 (Maxwell 43, Cummins 0) This has been a gutsy showing from Afghanistan. Australia have thrown the kitchen sink at them on a true pitch, and Warner, Marsh, and now Maxwell have all got in.
WICKET! Wade b Fazal 6 (Australia 155-6)
Another brilliant display from Afghanistan. Fazal somehow concedes a six despite Rashid catching Maxwell on the boundary but failing to either remain in play or throw the ball back inside the rope. The bowler is unperturbed and nails his yorkers to keep Australia to singles before ripping one through Wade’s attempted slog.
17th over: Australia 146-5 (Maxwell 35, Wade 5) Back to the seam of Naveen, and he concedes just three singles in a brilliant over. He begins bowling right-arm around the wicket to Maxwell, beating the bat with a superbly disguised slower ball then nailing a yorker. A brace of slower bouncers deceive Wade’s attempted pulls before Australia’s pair accept singles just to keep the scoreboard moving. Naveen has been outstanding tonight.
16th over: Australia 143-5 (Maxwell 33, Wade 4) Wade wastes no time finding the boundary, whipping Rashid behind square for a well-timed reverse sweep four. Rashid ends with 1/29.
WICKET! Stoinis c Usman b Rashid 25 (Australia 139-5)
Rashid begins his final over with yet another drag down, and this time Stoinis feasts on it, crunching a huge six over midwicket. Ball beats bat next delivery, then Stoinis chips a loopy outside edge straight to point.
He’s far from his best, but Rashid strikes at his happy hunting ground.
15th over: Australia 133-4 (Stoinis 19, Maxwell 33) Gulbadin begins his third over but he’s too short and Maxwell rocks back and slaps him disdainfully over square leg for six. A couple of singles later the Victorian whip-cracks an unstoppable lofted cover drive for four more. In amongst all that Gulbadin actually bowled really well, mixing up his pace and upsetting Australia’s timing.
14th over: Australia 121-4 (Stoinis 18, Maxwell 22) Back to Rashid, and he begins by deceiving Stoinis with a topspinner, the batter ending up in a very awkward position mid-reverse. The ball hits the pad, the appeal is confident, but declined on-field. Afghanistan review but it quickly shows the ball struck Stoinis outside the line of off stump. When he gets on strike Maxwell shows his Melbourne Stars teammate how it’s done, going full switch-hit and larruping an agricultural thwack between the two fielders on the cover boundary. How does he do it? Maxy has raced to 22 off 13. Stoinis, 18 off 16, needs to pick up the pace.
13th over: Australia 110-4 (Stoinis 18, Maxwell 14) Maxwell continues his assault by flicking Mujeeb for four behind square leg. He’s then fortunate to see a mistimed drive over cover land short of the sweeper, then see a mistimed baseball-style straight slog land in front of long-off, illustrating the risk-reward of Australia’s desperation for quick runs.
12th over: Australia 102-4 (Stoinis 17, Maxwell 7) Time for Mohammad Nabi’s slow off-breaks, which means it’s time for Marcus Stoinis to clear his front leg and heave a mighty six over cow corner. Maxwell then gets in on the act, drilling a square drive with strong wrists through a tiny gap in the offside field and away to the cover boundary.
11th over: Australia 88-4 (Stoinis 8, Maxwell 2) Over to you Maxy.
WICKET! Marsh c Gurbaz b Mujeeb 45 (Australia 86-4)
Back to Mujeeb’s spin after drinks and Australia deal in singles for three deliveries before Marsh sweeps, only to get a huge spiralling top edge that Gurbaz pouches with the gloves. Again Australia’s charge is halted by a soft wicket.
10th over: Australia 83-3 (Marsh 44, Stoinis 6) Australia are more circumspect against Rashid, but perhaps more on reputation than execution. The leggie has failed to fire this tournament and is lucky to get away with a couple of drag downs this over.
Lovely bit of analysis here from the Hawkeye boys, @benjonescricket & @devanujsanyal89, looking at how the extra bounce in Australia might be negating Rashid Khan’s ability to take wickets bowled & LBW - typically a massive factor in his success. #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/3hB5V4ABCs
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) November 4, 2022
9th over: Australia 78-3 (Marsh 41, Stoinis 4) Marsh gets the bandwagon rolling again with a clean straight drive for six backed up by a full swing of the bat for four over cover. Yet more poor Afghanistan fielding leads to a third boundary in a row with the legside sweeper failing to get anything behind a swivel pull. Marsh is such a powerful cricketer and he has moved to 41 off 25 in the blink of an eye.
Updated
8th over: Australia 64-3 (Marsh 28, Stoinis 3) Marsh begins with a sweep, Stoinis a reverse, against Rashid, which will encourage the leg-spinner on one of his home grounds. The Australian right-handers revert to the V to keep the scoreboard ticking over in singles as they consolidate following those three early wickets.
Updated
7th over: Australia 57-3 (Marsh 23, Stoinis 1) Gulbadin comes on and immediately Marsh is dropped at point! A loose drive to a length delivery and Najibullah turns his hands and body into spaghetti as the ball ricochets to the ground. That could have been a hammer blow. It’s another good over for Afghanistan though with neither Marsh nor Stoinis demonstrating timing to Gulbadin’s changes of pace. After that bright start Australia’s charge is waning.
Now it’s time for Rashid.
Updated
WICKET! Smith LBW Naveen 4 (Australia 54-3)
Steve Smith now has an important role to play and he demonstrates his intent with a beautiful wristy cut behind square for four. Naveen follows up by pinning the right-hander on the pads and umpire Rusere raises the finger! Smith reviews, of course. There’s no inside edge with the batter shuffling across too far to the off-side, and DRS shows the ball tracking into the pegs. Two huge wickets in the over for Afghanistan (and England)!
6th over: Australia 54-3 (Marsh 21, Stoinis 0)
WICKET! Warner b Naveen 25 (Australia 50-2)
That’s the risk of an attack-only approach. Warner alters his stance at the crease from left to right-hander to take advantage of the short boundary and field placings, but then misses a straight one and looks pretty silly. That is enormously disappointing for Australia because Warner looked in the mood tonight.
Updated
5th over: Australia 49-1 (Warner 25, Marsh 20) Mujeeb gets a second over soon after his first went for 16, and he’s immediately looking over into the cheap seats behind square leg as Marsh drops onto one knee and times him sweetly into the sunset. Australia make do with singles thereafter as they lay the foundation for a massive total.
4th over: Australia 38-1 (Warner 23, Marsh 11) Naveenulhaq Murid replaces Mujeed with his skiddy right-arm seamers and after a couple of singles he watches Marsh slog an edge for a one-bounce four to the unguarded third region. He then looks on in dismay as Afghanistan concede more overthrows with poor fielding and intimidating running turning one into three.
Australia are giving it their all. England will be watching on nervously.
In October 2019 Australia played Sri Lanka at the Adelaide Oval. Australia batted first & scored 233-2 with Warner scoring 100* & Maxwell & Finch scoring fifties. They then kept Sri Lanka to 99 for 9 & won by 134 runs. They need something similar this evening. #T20WorldCup
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) November 4, 2022
3rd over: Australia 27-1 (Warner 22, Marsh 1) Australia are desperately trying to force the issue but Mitchell Marsh takes three balls to get off the mark, perhaps rushing his strokes. Warner shows him how it’s done, paddling an audacious four in front of midwicket with a deft bunt.
WICKET! Green c Gulbadin b Fazal 3 (Australia 22-1)
Brilliant catch at slip from Gulbadin and Green trudges off after facing just two deliveries. Fazal angled the ball across the big right-hander, who tried to cut, but the ball was too close to his body and all he could manage was a thick edge. The ball flew high to the left of the solitary slip but he showed swift and sure hands to pouch a very good catch.
Updated
2nd over: Australia 22-0 (Warner 18, Green 3) David Warner is a man on a mission. He showed plenty of intent in the opening over without much timing, but in the second he made a mockery of Australia’s supposed weakness against spin, taking Mujeeb Ur Rahman for plenty all around Adelaide Oval. Green is fortunate to get off the market with a thick edge for a hard-run three, but after that Warner reverse slogged for four before two more boundaries through the on-side.
Updated
1st over: Australia 6-0 (Warner 6, Green 0) Fazal begins with some nice shape away from Warner with his left-arm seamers. The first couple are mistimed for dots but Warner waits on the third and delivers a trademark punchy cut for four. He tips and runs to rotate the strike next ball but an overthrow brings him back to the business end. Fazal responds well, hurrying Warner up with a shorter ball then beating the outside edge with length.
David & Starc are two big misses for a game that Australia need to win big although Green could somewhat make up for that. Afghanistan choosing to chase diverts from their usual method but they may feel asking Australia to go hard is their best route to winning. #T20WorldCup
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) November 4, 2022
Australia’s new opening partnership stride to the crease: David Warner the stocky veteran lefty, Cameron Green the giant right-handed newcomer.
Fazalhaq Farooqi has the ball…
As the teams line up for the anthems, there’s just time to read about Travis Basevi, a man you might never have heard of but whose influence you’ve probably felt.
This will be fun. Afghanistan choose to bowl. Australia need to look for 200. Green in to open for Finch. A frustrated onlooker in Smith comes into the middle. No Starc. Kane Richardson to show his tricks on his home ground - but it's also a home for Rashid Khan. #T20WC
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 4, 2022
Afghanistan XI
Rashid Khan has been declared fit despite concerns over his fitness following the defeat to Sri Lanka in Brisbane.
🚨 Toss & Team News 🚨
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) November 4, 2022
Skipper @MohammadNabi007 has won the toss & decided that Afghanistan will bowl first against @CricketAus.
A look at our Playing XI 👇#AfghanAtalan | #T20WorldCup | #SuperCola | #AFGvAUS pic.twitter.com/7NCEKwicbK
Australia XI
A revamped Australian XI for their final match of the Super 12s. Cameron Green replaces the injured Aaron finch at the top of the order, Steve Smith comes in for Tim David in the middle-order, and Kane Richardson dislodges Mitchell Starc in the attack.
1 David Warner, 2 Cameron Green, 3 Mitch Marsh, 4 Steve Smith, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Matthew Wade (c/wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Kane Richardson, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh Hazlewood
Afghanistan won the toss and will field first
We should be in for plenty of fireworks from Australia’s top order.
Stand-in skipper Matthew Wade said he wanted to bowl first to be in better control of the net run rate calculations.
It’s dry tonight in Adelaide but Australian rain has put cricket politics in the spotlight. Here’s Geoff Lemon again.
Most sports don’t have to worry about being cancelled if things get wet. Cricket remains a special flower in the deluge. Tournament rain produces instant meteorologists, scoffing at the idiocy of playing a certain match in a certain place at a certain time. The same happened during the early weeks of the 2019 World Cup, the ending of which was deemed satisfactory. Rain happens wherever cricket does – that’s how the grass grows. October may be slightly wetter than other Melbourne months, but it’s drier than any cricket months in Sydney or Brisbane. The rainfall tends to be brief and scattered. This year it anomalously isn’t. So be it.
Have we already seen the last of Aaron Finch in an Australian uniform? He deserves his place among the greats of white ball cricket.
Confirmation that Aaron Finch and Tim David will miss out through injury. Not only that but Mitchell Starc has been omitted (not sure why). In come Steve Smith, Cameron Green and Kane Richardson.
Geoff’s piece there condenses the net run rate issue as neatly as possible.
Australia need to beat Afghanistan
Victory by about 60 runs or within 13 overs would take Australia ahead of England on net run rate.
England then play Sri Lanka tomorrow in Sydney knowing what margin of victory is required for them to reach the semi-finals.
Geoff Lemon sets the scene from inside the Australian camp ahead of a match full of complex equations in selection strategy, injury management, and net run rate.
Net run rate makes sense as a cricketing concept – how fast did you score compared with how well you defended? But it’s not a calculation that most people can do in their heads while sitting in the stands, and the results are not intuitive at a glance in the way that something like goal difference in football is.
New Zealand beat Ireland by 35 runs
The equation just became even more difficult for Australia and England with New Zealand completing their Super 12s campaign with a solid victory over Ireland. The Black Caps will occupy one of Group 1’s spots in the semi-finals.
Finn Allen continued his good form smashing 32 from 18 to start New Zealand’s innings, after which skipper Kane Williamson found some form of his own with 61 from 35. A total much bigger than 185 was on offer but Ireland’s Josh Little wrote his name into history with a fabulous hat-trick.
The run-chase started brightly with Paul Stirling and Andy Balbirnie putting on 68 in eight overs but spinners Santner and Sodhi turned the game by dismissing Ireland’s top four in quick succession.
Updated
Simon Doull is covering the New Zealand v Ireland match at Adelaide Oval and he has hinted strongly that Steve Smith and Cameron Green are both likely to feature for Australia with Aaron Finch and Tim David both injury doubts.
Conditions
It’s dry and we’re set fair in the city of churches.
The pitch is already 40-overs old after being used by New Zealand and Ireland, and it looks a typically true Adelaide Oval strip. Afghanistan’s spinners will have been encouraged by the turn and bounce on offer to Mitch Santner and Ish Sodhi.
Also: top work, Adelaide. Finally feels like cricket season. pic.twitter.com/9XbyGKbyuJ
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 4, 2022
It’s now or never for teams looking to progress from the Super 12s, and as Geoff Lemon reports the state of play is far from straightforward for some of the tournament favourites.
Arriving at this tournament, England and Australia would have been worldly enough to know that they couldn’t expect to walk out of this group. They were diplomatic enough to cite every opponent as a tough competitor who could beat them on a given day. They were seasoned enough to know that this was true. And in their hearts, they would still have known that they should be the two to progress. The two biggest and best-resourced teams, one the host, the other the pace-setter in short form cricket for the last seven years.
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Australia vs Afghanistan in Group 1 of the Super 12s begins at Adelaide Oval at 6.30pm local time (7pm AEDT/8am GMT).
This may be the final time we see the hosts and defending champions this tournament with Australia’s fate almost out of their hands. To reach the semi-finals they must defeat Afghanistan tonight and then hope England fail against Sri Lanka tomorrow. If both old enemies prevail progress comes down to net run rate, which is firmly in England’s favour, and moreover, they will know exactly the task facing them when they complete their Super 12s assignment in Sydney.
The first part of the home side’s equation should be straightforward enough. Afghanistan are the only one of the dozen sides in this stage of the world cup yet to register a win. Australia, while not firing on all cylinders, should have the artillery to blow through a fragile batting order.
The second part may not be so straightforward. It has become cliché to question Australia’s abilities against deliveries that move sideways, and techniques will surely be tested against Afghanistan’s trio of spinners, a list that includes Rashid Khan, who has dominated the Big Bash League for Adelaide Strikers on this ground.
In a demonstration of cricket’s miserable scheduling, this is just the fourth time these teams have met in international competition, and the first in T20 internationals.
There’s plenty more to get through before play gets underway, during which feel free to drop me an email or, if Twitter hasn’t burned to the ground, send a tweet or two to @JPHowcroft.
