Agencies
Sydney, March 13
England avoided further humiliation by bowing out of the World Cup with a nine-wicket victory over Afghanistan in showery Sydney.
Eoin Morgan’s side – already out of the tournament before the knockout stage after Monday’s defeat to Bangladesh – made light work of chasing down their Duckworth-Lewis revised target of 101 off 25 overs after a third rain break ended Afghanistan’s innings prematurely at 111-7 off 36.2 overs.Ian Bell (52no off 56 balls) put on 83 in 13.3 overs with Alex Hales, who was dropped on nought and eight by Najib Zadran off Shapoor Zadran, before he edged Hamid Hassan behind for 37 off 33 balls.
James Taylor ensured there would be no late wobble, sharing an unbroken stand of 18 with Bell, who struck six boundaries in his third half-century of the competition before England reached their target off 18.1 overs.
Earlier England, who recalled Ravi Bopara and James Tredwell for the injured Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes, made early in-roads under leaden skies after winning the toss.
Joe Root claimed two early slip catches as Nawroz Mangal (four) chased a wide delivery from James Anderson before fellow opener Javed Ahmadi (seven) was caught on the drive Stuart Broad.
Drizzle forced the players off for the first time after 8.5 overs with the score on 24-2 and after a 37-minute delay Chris Jordan struck in his second over, finding the edge of Afsar Zazai’s bat.
Samiullah Shenwari attempted to inject some momentum into the innings but struck just one four before driving Jordan to point where Morgan took a good, low catch – the fourth Afghanistan wicket to fall for 17 runs.
Rain forced a second stoppage with the score on 62-4 off 25 overs and four balls after the re-start Jamal’s 52-ball vigil came to an end when he prodded at Bopara and was caught behind.
The wicket brought in skipper Mohammad Nabi, who struck an enterprising 16 off 17 balls that included the game’s first six – off Tredwell – before he picked out the spinner at mid-on to gift Bopara a second wicket.
While Shafiqullah Shafiq (30) bedding in at the crease, Afghanistan’s second fifty of the innings came up off 76 balls – fifty deliveries quicker than the first.
But the innings ended in a damp squib after Shafiq fell attempting to sweep Tredwell, Bopara taking a fine diving catch in the deep, as the bad weather returned.
