LUCKNOW: Half centuries by Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmat Shah and veteran Mohammad Nabi's superb bowling spell helped a clinical Afghanistan register a seven-wicket victory over the Netherlands to keep their World Cup semifinal hopes alive at the Ekana stadium on Friday.
After the Afghan bowlers and fielders restricted the Dutch to 179, batter Rahmat Shah's of 52 off 54 balls (eight boundaries) and an unbeaten 56 by captain Hashmatullah Shahidi saw the team home with a whopping 18.3 overs to spare. With this win, the Afghanistan team has climbed to the fifth spot in the points table with eight points overtaking Pakistan.
