Afghanistan's challenge ends in a heap
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... and it'll be ten and out for Afghanistan shortly ... in fact, there it is, even before I've completed this update! Santner claims his tenth and 11th of the tournament, to mop up Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi. First, a loose reverse-sweep, top-edged to backward point, then a regulation nick into slip's bread-basket two balls later. The degree of turn that Santner has got in this innings has been telling. How much of a self-own was it for Afghanistan to bowl first? We may never know. But what we do know is that New Zealand are four wins for four, and clear for now at the top of the standings.
Four wickets for five runs in eight balls was the final collapse. But the damage was done earlier in the piece, particularly Afghanistan's errors in the field. Had they been chasing 220, as could have been the case without five missed chances, might things have been different?