Carlos Brathwaite's 4/63 helps West Indies to end 2019 World Cup campaign on high

Shai Hope's 77 off 92 along with the brilliance of Carlos Brathwaite's 4/63 helps West Indies end World Cup 2019 on high. Batting first, West Indies scored 311 runs on the board with three batsmen scoring half-centuries. In reply, Rahmat Shah and Ikram Ali notched 133 runs partnership for the first wicket. However, once the duo departed, Afghanistan team looked all over the place and eventually fell short by 23 runs at Headingley in Leeds. With this, the campaign for two sides end here. It has been a forgettable tournament for two sides, especially Afghanistan, who failed to win a single game. However, the intent was there and they will surely comeout being a better side in years to come.

For West Indies, while batting the start wasn’t good for them as Chris Gayle, playing his last World Cup game, got out for seven to Dawlat Zadran. Evin Lewis and Shai Hope  steadied the ship and added 78 runs for the second wicket. Rashid Khan nipped out Lewis with a half-tracker to separate the duo. Shimron Hetmyer joined Hope and carried on the good work.

The pair added 65 runs after which Dawlat Zadran bounced out Hetmyer. To add to Windies’ agony, Mohammad Nabi removed Hope and all off a sudden, they had two new batsmen- Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder in the middle. However, they didn’t allow the pressure to mount and stitched together a stand of 105 runs off 69 deliveries. Their onslaught helped the Caribbean team notch a significant 311 for six in the 50 overs.

Afghanistan ends World Cup winlessThe Afghans didn’t start well as Gulbadin Naib perished to an ugly hoick off Kemar Roach. Thereafter, Rahmat Shah and Ikram Ali Khil built some momentum with a priceless 133-run stand, though the required rate kept climbing. At the age of 18, Khil became the youngest wicketkeeper with a World Cup fifty. Carlos Brathwaite nipped out Shah to give Windies a breather. Khil was looking good for a ton before Gayle trapped him in front.

Mohammad Nabi gave Roach his second wicket in the quest to up the ante. Roach got rid of the in-form Samiullah Shinwari as well. Asghar Afghan tried his heart out with a 32-ball 40 after which Carlos Brathwaite removed him. In the last five overs, the Caribbeans needed 57 runs but had only three wickets in hand. Brathwaite got rid of Rashid and Dawlat to pick up a four-wicket haul and carved the triumph for Holder’s men.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Shai Hope was awarded as man-of-the-match.
• West Indies won their second game in World Cup 2019. 
• Afghanistan ended the tournament with nine losses.