New Zealand have continued their impressive run in the ODI World Cup after they registered their fourth win of the ongoing campaign after beating Afghanistan in Chennai. The contest played on Wednesday (Oct 18) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium saw New Zealand show a flawless performance as they won by 149 runs with Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson claiming three wickets each after Glenn Phillips (71) and stand-up skipper Tom Latham (68) contributed to the winning cause.

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New Zealand continue their impressive run

Having won their three matches the Kiwis had a solid foundation going into the match but without Kane Williamson while Tim Southee continued to remain on the sidelines. They took the bowling attack to Afghanistan who lost wickets at regular intervals during the 289-run chase. They were reduced to 97/4 before reaching the triple-figure mark with Rahmanullah Gurbaz (11), Ibrahim Zadran (14), and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (8) all returning to the pavilion for the wholesome score. Rahmat Shah (36) was the top scorer but did not get the required support as Afghanistan lost their way in the chase.

Azmatullah Omarzai’s 27 did show some resilience, but the minnows were never in the contest and were bundled out for 139 in 34.4 overs. Santner (39/3) and Ferguson (19/3) were the architects of Afghanistan’s downfall. Trent Boult also ended with two wickets while Matt Henry and Rachin Ravindra ended with one-a-piece.

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Earlier, powered by Glenn Phillips and Tom Latham, New Zealand scored 288/6 in their 50 overs. The pair put up a partnership of 144 runs for the fifth wicket to build momentum on their side. Will Young (54) also scored a fifty at the top order. The Kiwis fell short of the 300-run mark but did enough to win the contest.

They next take on India in a high-octane clash on Sunday in Dharmshala with the hosts also enjoying a hundred per cent record. India will take on Bangladesh on Thursday before they shake hands with the team that eliminated them from the 2019 edition. Afghanistan will take on Pakistan in Chennai on Monday (Oct 23).

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