Sports Bulletin

SPECIAL REPORT Dubai (November 11, 2021):-Pakistan set a-177-run target for Australia in the second semifinal of ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2021 at Dubai International Stadium Dubai on Thursday night. Pakistan (Playing XIs): Babar Azam (Captain), Mohammad Rizwan (Wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Imad Wasim, Shahdab Khan, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf Australia (Playing XIs): Aaron Finch (Captain), David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade (Wicketkeeper), Marcus Stoinis, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.  Scorecard: Pakistan Batting: Australia Bowling: Australia Batting: Pakistan Bowling:  

Sports News Abu Dhabi (November 10, 2021):-New Zealand reached into the final of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after beating England by 5 wickets in semifinal at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Chasing 167, the Black Caps were on the back foot when key duo Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson were dismissed by Chris Woakes inside the first three overs of the reply. But the ship was steadied by Mitchell and Devon Conway, who added 82 for the third wicket, before Jimmy Neesham blasted 26 from 10 to turn the tide in his side’s favour. And Mitchell was on hand to hit the winning runs from the final ball of the 19th over, finishing with 72 from 47 as Williamson’s men gained revenge for their dramatic 2019 Cricket World Cup final defeat against the same opponents. Moeen Ali’s unbeaten 51 had earlier propelled England to 166 for four and though Liam Livingstone (2/22) impressed with the ball, their ambitions of becoming the first men’s team to hold both ICC World Cups at once are now over. England were put in and new-look opening pair Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler were given a thorough test early on as New Zealand’s seamers probed with the new ball. Buttler got into his stride with back-to-back boundaries off Trent Boult but lost his partner following the introduction of Adam Milne, whose first delivery was chipped by Bairstow to a diving Williamson at mid-off. England had been flying starters with the bat in the Super 12s but reached the end of the powerplay here on 40 for one, at which point Williamson turned to spin to keep the squeeze on. Buttler released some of the pressure with a reverse swept boundary off Mitchell Santner but the same shot brought his downfall as he was struck on the knee roll by Ish Sodhi and departed for 29. That brought Moeen and Dawid Malan together and the latter benefited from a let-off on ten when Conway put down a tough low chance to his left off Neesham. Malan responded by unfurling a glorious cover drive to take England to the halfway stage in style and went inside out through the same region twice in three balls against Glenn Phillips as the run rate ticked above seven. Moeen was equally quick to punish anything loose, cutting Sodhi to the point boundary before working Boult through fine leg to leave the innings delicately poised on 110 for two after 15. England’s momentum was checked when Malan feathered an edge behind the ball after pulling Tim Southee for the first six of the match but his departure saw Moeen step on the accelerator, with Sodhi and Milne deposited into the stands. New man Liam Livingstone did not take long to find his range, launching Milne for an 88-metre straight six in an 18th over costing 16, though he couldn’t muster the same power off Neesham and picked out Santner at long-off. Moeen brought up his 36-ball half-century later in the final over which ended with Morgan dropped by an off-balance Phillips in the deep as England set the Black Caps 167 to win. The total appeared about par but any hopes New Zealand had of making quick inroads were quickly dashed as Morgan’s men – and specifically Woakes – made a dream start with the ball. The reply was just three balls old when Guptill, who had struck his first delivery for four, saw a leading edge easily taken by Moeen at mid-on. And Woakes’s work was not done there as he went on to claim the huge early scalp of Williamson, whose attempted scoop did not have the legs to clear Adil Rashid at short fine leg to leave New Zealand 13 for two. Mitchell and Conway were tasked with repairing the damage and began to pick up valuable boundaries as they negotiated the remainder of a powerplay which was brought to a close by an excellent cover drive by Conway. Just 14 runs came between the sixth and ninth overs, though Conway released the shackles by lofting Livingstone down the ground for a much-needed boundary as the required rate neared 11. He followed up by flaying Mark Wood over backward point for a remarkable six and Mitchell soon cleared the ropes himself – despite a magnificent effort by Chris Jordan on the long-off boundary – as the pair continued to keep Black Caps dreams alive. Enter Livingstone, who struck twice in quick succession as Conway was stumped for 46 and Phillips picked out Sam Billings on the long-off boundary to leave New Zealand needing 57 from the final four overs. But the pendulum swung towards the Black Caps during a dramatic 17th over as Neesham ran riot. Two sixes off Chris Jordan, the second of which saw Bairstow’s knee land on the rope just before he released the ball to Livingstone, contributed to 23 runs in all and there was no let-up when Rashid returned. Neesham and Mitchell both slammed maximums, the latter bringing up his half century in the process, though the game took another twist when the former couldn’t clear Morgan at cover to leave 20 runs needed from the final two overs. They needed just one to complete the job, however, as successive Mitchell sixes took the target into single figures before a boundary behind square leg allowed the celebrations to begin. New Zealand will now take on either Australia and Pakistan in Sunday’s final as they look to add T20 glory to their ICC World Test Championship crown. Summarized Scorecard: Toss: New Zealand won the toss and decided to field first England Batting (166 for 4 in 20 overs): Moeen Ali 51 not out (37 balls, 4X3, 6X2), Dawid Malan 41 (30 balls, 4X4, 6X1), Liam Livingston 17 (10 balls, 4X1, 6X1) New Zealand Bowling: (167 for 5 in 19 overs) Tim Southee (1 for 24), Adam Milne (1 for 31), Ish Sodhi (1 for 32) New Zealand Batting: Daryl Mitchell 73 (48 balls, 4X4, 6X4), Devon Conway 46 (38 balls, 4X5, 6X1), James Neesham 27 (10 balls, 4X1, 6X3) England Bowling: Liam Livingston (2 for 22), Chris Woakes (2 for 36), Adil Rasheed (1 for 39) Player of the match: Daryl Mitchell (New Zealand)

SPECIAL REPORT:After almost a month of action, it all comes down to five days, four teams and three matches at the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2021. And I reckon this could be Australia’s year. England are the favourites from here but I sense the belief in the Australia camp and I think there is some real momentum there. Everything is clicking nicely ahead of Thursday's semi-final against Pakistan. Go back a month and Australia didn’t have any form on the eve of this tournament but their big players have caught fire. I was speaking to David Warner before it started and told him 'I have you down to be Australia’s leading run-scorer, so don’t let me down!' I did that on the belief that he is a big-match player, a big tournament player and that has not changed. Aaron Finch has found some form, Mitchell Marsh is hitting the ball well and Glenn Maxwell will come good. They have been underdogs in this tournament and going under the radar has really helped them. When you go in as one of the favourites like England, with their history and success, it breeds confidence but also expectations. If England don’t beat New Zealand and make the final, people will be asking questions, just like India, who started slowly and didn’t peak at the right time. I think we have the right four teams in the semi-finals and it’s interesting to note that only one of them is from the sub-continent. We thought the conditions would favour the likes of India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan but it just didn’t happen for them. A key reason for Australia's success is how they have utilised spin. With the bat, we have some great players of spin and they have shown that in this tournament, but the big weapon is Adam Zampa. His form spinning the ball has been key and Australia have embraced a different T20 style with him. Before, the method was always to try to score 170-odd and then try and blow teams away with the quicks. But they know they can’t do that in the UAE and introducing a bigger spin element has helped massively. These are the games we live for as cricketers and the team that wins the tournament will be the one that does the basics the best – and I mean things like making sure there are no stupid run outs, not bowling no-balls, running the twos very hard. I love those things. There is the old cliché that it’s just another game but it’s obviously not. It’s a World Cup semi-final! How you deal with your emotions and execute those plans that will allow you to either win or lose at that final hurdle. The advice I would give is to enjoy it. Enjoy how far you have come. Focus on the strengths, and the strengths for all four teams are they have done the basics far better than most other teams. T20 cricket is about match-winners, big runs and big totals. But it is also about the one per-cent moments. Australia are experienced in these situations. Some of these boys won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2015 and then reached the semi-finals four years later and that counts for so much in those pressure situations at the death. If you have been there and done it, whether you have won or lost, you will have learnt from that experience and playing under that pressure. Perhaps my favourite part about Thursday’s game is that it will pit two of my old teammates against each other. Who would have scripted two great mates in Justin Langer and Matty Hayden on opposite sides? Justin is the head coach of Australia and then Matty is the batting consultant for Pakistan, two lads who opened the batting together for years and are two of Australia’s greatest run-getters ever in Test cricket. They have shown that bromance on the field and I know that when they go out, there will be so much respect for each other. They will be fighting hard for their teams but it’s fun! It’s a great feather in Matty’s cap. Pakistan have always had the talent but it’s how you massage that talent and bring it together that creates a good side and Matty has done that. He’s always been a great leader and him being there is great for Pakistan and I also think it’s been healthy for cricket. We don’t want to look too far ahead but if Australia win then they are guaranteed a big rival in the final, with England playing New Zealand. It would be cool to see an Australia v England final, but a lot is going to happen between now and Sunday, anything can happen.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (November 10, 2021):-The match official appointments for the semi-final stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 have been announced. The first semi-final between England and New Zealand will take place at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, 10 November, while the second semi-final between Pakistan and Australia will be played on Thursday, 11 November at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai. The match official appointments are as follows: 10 November – England v New Zealand (18h00), Zayed Cricket Stadium – Marais Erasmus and Kumar Dharmasena (on-field), Nitin Menon (third umpire), Paul Reiffel (fourth umpire), David Boon (match referee). 11 November – Pakistan v Australia (18h00), Dubai International Stadium – Richard Kettleborough and Chris Gaffaney (on-field), Joel Wilson (third umpire), Richard Illingworth (fourth umpire), Jeff Crowe (match referee). Appointments for the 14 November final at Dubai International Stadium will be advised once the outcome of both semi-finals are known.

SPECIAL REPORT England’s final group match against South Africa was a tough one but while they will be disappointed to come out on the wrong side of it, I think it’s good they’ve had a tight game before the semi-final stage of the tournament. You need to have a game where you’re pushed to your limits and they were against the Proteas. Everyone got an opportunity in the batting line-up, as well, which is important – you want to be going into the knockout stages with a lot of the squad having had time in the middle. Of course, the main worry for England is Jason Roy’s injury. He’s a massive player for England, he brings so much firepower to the top of the order and he’s a hard man to replace. With Tymal Mills also missing the rest of the tournament through injury, England have been hit a couple of times in a week, which is always tough – especially in two such big positions, opening batter and death bowler. Those roles are tricky to replace but we have spoken a lot in recent years about England’s enormous white-ball depth and now is the time for that to come to the fore. The players on the sidelines are comfortable within the group and will be ready to step up. Hopefully they can now deliver on the big stage. England do have a number of players who have opened in T20 cricket before. The obvious solution is to bring Sam Billings into the middle order and promote someone like Dawid Malan, who seems to have been slipping down the order – it might be beneficial to give him a clear role at the top of the order, while James Vince is an option now he’s been called up in Roy’s place. Having said that, the bowling against South Africa didn’t look as strong as it had done in previous games – with Mills looking a big miss – so England do have the option of bringing in an extra bowler. There are some big decisions to make but by the time the match starts, they will have done their preparations and everyone will know what they need to do. One player who I expect to see play a key role in Roy’s potential absence is Liam Livingstone.  Everyone has been waiting for him to explode on to the stage at a World Cup and he did that against South Africa with those three consecutive sixes. We all saw what he could do last summer and he’ll be pivotal to England’s chances now. He’s a big match-winner and hopefully that innings has given him some real confidence going into a must-win game against New Zealand. It’s always a close contest when England play the Black Caps – hopefully this one won’t be quite as close as that incredible final in 2019! New Zealand are obviously a very good team who have done incredibly well in the last two years. They are ICC World Test Championship winners, they came so close to winning a 50-over World Cup and they continue to punch above their weight. England will be fearful because of the success they’ve had and they’re led brilliantly by Kane Williamson. They’ve played some really good cricket and I can’t wait to see the two teams go head-to-head. The second semi-final will also be a great contest and Australia look to be peaking at the right time. David Warner is coming into form, their fast bowlers look very threatening and they have other big players, like Glen Maxwell, who are still awaiting their time to shine in this tournament. The two semi-finals are so hard to call. Pakistan have been playing some great cricket Australia have played some tough games and been under quite a bit of pressure, which always holds you in good stead going into a semi-final. They have been under more pressure than England and Pakistan. With that in mind, I think it will be an England-Australia final, just as it was in Barbados in 2010. Hopefully this one will end in the same result!

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (November 9, 2021):-India rounded off the Super 12s stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 with a resounding nine-wicket victory over Namibia in Group 2. Both sides had already failed to make the semi-finals before the action got underway in Dubai, but India finished on a high as half centuries from Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul helped them chase 133 with ease. Spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin set the foundation, taking three wickets apiece to help prevent Namibia, for whom David Wiese again top scored with 26, from setting an imposing total on what was a good wicket. India were left to rue what could have been in the UAE after recording their third win, as two defeats in their opening two games against semi-finalists Pakistan and New Zealand ultimately cost them a place in the last four. Virat Kohli elected to field after winning the toss in his final T20I as India captain but Namibia made a solid start with the bat. Stephan Baard’s six off Mohammed Shami helped his side to 25 without loss after three overs but he soon lost his opening partner when Shami caught Michael Van Lingen, 14 off 15 balls, after he miscued a pull shot off Jasprit Bumrah. No.3 Craig Williams soon followed for a duck after running straight past a Jadeja delivery, Rishabh Pant calmly whipping off the bails as Namibia finished the powerplay on 34 for two. Jadeja had another when Baard missed a sweep and was trapped lbw for 21 and Namibia were in further trouble at 47 for four when fellow spinner Ashwin got in the act, having Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton caught at slip for five. That brought Namibia’s most productive pair at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 together, as Wiese joined captain Gerhard Erasmus at the crease. They shared a stand of 25 until Erasmus, 12 off 20 balls, nicked Ashwin behind to Pant who took a superb catch after a big deflection. Namibia showed some fight, taking 21 from the next 15 balls before JJ Smit became Jadeja’s third victim from the last ball of his spell, Sharma’s diving catch sending him back for a run-a-ball nine with the score 93 for six with five overs to go. Not to be outdone by his teammate, Ashwin bowled Namibia wicket-keeper Zane Green for a golden duck to also pick up his third scalp of the innings, finishing with three for 20 from his four overs. Namibia brought up their 100 in the 17th over as Wiese found support from Jan Frylinck. But the former South Africa international was outfoxed by a Bumrah slower delivery in the penultimate over, Sharma taking another catch to send the all-rounder packing for 26 off 25 balls. By the time Ruben Trumpelmann had scored 13 off Shami’s 20th over, 37 runs had come from the final four, as Namibia left India needing 133 to sign off with a win. Trumpelmann then switched to his primary suit of bowling and should have had the huge wicket of Sharma to his name, but Van Lingen dropped the Indian opener at short fine leg, allowing him to get off the mark. Sharma had another life when a one-handed hack off Wiese somehow fell safely before he swatted the next ball for six behind square on the legside to get India going. Another boundary off Trumpelmann’s second over brought up 3,000 T20I runs for Sharma but he again had a close shave when a mis-timed pull fell just short of the fielder. Sharma and KL Rahul had India cruising as they raced to 54 without loss by the end of the powerplay. And the former brought up an action-packed 50 off 31 balls, his second of the tournament, as India showed no sign of taking their foot off the gas. Eventually, however, Namibia made a breakthrough with Frylinck dismissing Sharma for 56 as wicket-keeper Green held onto the catch to end the opening partnership of 86 one ball before the halfway point. Sharma had dominated the strike with Rahul, but the latter upped the ante after losing his partner and was joined by Suryakumar Yadav who showed off his ability to score all around the ground in an entertaining unbeaten 25 from 19 balls. Rahul brought up his third 50 of the tournament from 35 balls before hitting a boundary to end his side’s campaign in style with 28 balls to spare. Scores in brief India beat Namibia at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai by nine wickets Namibia 132/8 in 20 overs (David Wiese 26, Stephan Baard 21; Ravindra Jadeja 3/16, Ravichandran Ashwin 3/20) India 136/1 in 15.2 overs (Rohit Sharma 56, KL Rahul 54 not out; Jan Frylinck 1/19) Player of the match: Ravindra Jadeja (India)

SPORTS REPORTER Lahore (November 8, 2021):-Pakistan cricket selectors have named an 18-player squad for the three T20Is against Bangladesh, which will be played in Dhaka on 19, 20 and 22 November. The only change in the side that has qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 semifinals is of Mohammad Hafeez who, following discussions with Chief Selector Muhammad Wasim, has opted out so that younger batters can get opportunities to perform and gain international experience and exposure. As such, an in-form Iftikhar Ahmed has been added to the middle-order that also includes Haider Ali and Khushdil Shah. Pakistan squad for the two Tests, which will be played from 26-30 November and 4-8 December in Chittagong and Dhaka, respectively will be announced in due course. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board has retained the same team management that is presently in the United Arab Emirates, barring batting consultant Matthew Hayden who is not available due to prior commitments. Pakistan T20I squad Babar Azam (captain, Central Punjab) Shadab Khan (vice-captain, Northern) Asif Ali (Northern) Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Haider Ali (Northern) Haris Rauf (Northern) Hasan Ali (Central Punjab) Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Imad Wasim (Northern) Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab) Mohammad Nawaz (Northern) Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper, Sindh) Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh) Shoaib Malik (Central Punjab) Usman Qadir (Central Punjab) Player Support Personnel: Mansoor Rana (manager), Saqlain Mushtaq (interim head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Vernon Philander (bowling consultant; 3 T20Is and 1st Test), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Talha Ejaz (team analyst), Col (retd) Muhammad Imran (Security Manager), Ibrahim Badees (media and digital manager), Dr Najeeb Soomro (team doctor) and Malang Ali (Masseur)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Dubai (November 8, 2021):-The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has approved James Vince as a replacement for Jason Roy in the England squad. The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has approved James Vince as a replacement for Jason Roy in the England squad. Right hand batter Vince, who has played 13 Tests, 19 ODIs and 13 T20Is, was named as a replacement after Roy was ruled out due to a calf injury. Vince was a reserve as per the allowance for teams to travel with extra players in view of COVID-19 quarantine requirements. The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad. The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 consists of Chris Tetley (Head of Events, Chair), Clive Hitchcock (ICC Senior Cricket Operations Manager), Rahul Dravid and Dhiraj Malhotra (BCCI Representatives), Simon Doull and Ian Bishop (Independent Members).

Aamir Ali Janjua SHARJAH (November 7, 2021):-Pakistan saw off Scotland by 72 runs to top Group 2, preserve a perfect record and set up a semi-final clash with Australia at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Skipper Babar Azam made 66 and Shoaib Malik clubbed an incredible 18-ball fifty as Pakistan posted 189 for four from their 20 overs, having chosen to bat. Despite Richie Berrington’s defiant unbeaten 54, Scotland only managed 117 for six in reply as their campaign ended in defeat. The most prolific batter in the Super 12s, Babar set about compiling his fifth half-century with consummate ease, starting with a sumptuous cover drive for four off Hamza Tahir. Babar’s opening partnership with Mohammad Rizwan has yielded two century stands and the keeper-batter launched Brad Wheal for a massive six over cow corner in the fifth over. It wasn’t the day for another big partnership however as Tahir tossed one up and drew an under-edge from Rizwan that was well held by Matt Cross, dismissing him for 15. Babar was unperturbed and hit the roof of the Sharjah Cricket Stadium with a maximum from Mark Watt’s bowling. But the 27-year-old star lost another partner as Fakhar Zaman holed out to cow corner for eight to continue his lean run of form and make it 59 for two. Mohammad Hafeez came to the crease and acted as a foil to his captain, who continued to torment the Scottish attack, taking Watt for successive fours with power and poise. Hafeez really hit his straps in the 15th over, sending Safyaan Sharif flying fully 97 metres over long-on, then back-to-back fours before being trapped LBW for an entertaining 31. Watt has been Scotland’s key weapon with the ball but found his economy rate ruined further with a brutal bottom-handed six from Malik to kickstart his innings. It was Watt’s spin twin, leg-spinner Chris Greaves, who had most joy and his control was rewarded with the big wicket of Babar, who picked out George Munsey at long on to depart for 66. Malik took aim at Sharif and struck two further massive blows over midwicket and then down the arc to take the penultimate over for 17 runs. Then Greaves bore the full brunt of the veteran batter, who hit the last four legal deliveries of the innings for three sixes and a four to bring up Pakistan’s fastest-ever T20I fifty. The run chase always looked a tall order for Scotland, whose high score in the tournament was 165, and they made a steady if unspectacular start. They reached 23 for none with George Munsey finding scoring easier than his captain Kyle Coetzer, who was clean bowled by Hasan Ali for nine in the sixth over. Pakistan struck again when Imad Wasim palmed a low Munsey drive onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end to run Cross out for five. And Shadab Khan broke the backbone of the Scotland batting order with two wickets in three balls midway through the innings. Munsey departed on the first ball after drinks when he nicked to short third man and Dylan Budge was bowled for a third-ball duck to make it 41 for four. Scotland’s most consistent batter Berrington built an excellent partnership with Michael Leask, that started when Berrington whipped Hasan Ali for two boundaries in three balls. Berrington dominated the scoring in a partnership of 46, to which Leask added 14 at a run-a-ball before being comprehensively bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi for 14. Berrington forged on and then smacked Hasan over long-on for six before bringing up an excellent fifty from 34 balls. Haris Rauf got Greaves for four in the final over as Scotland finished their 20 overs on 117 for six, a full 72 runs short, with Berrington ending unbeaten on 54. The semifinals will see Group 1 toppers England take on New Zealand in Abu Dhabi on 10 November while Group 2 toppers Pakistan will play Australia in Dubai on 11 November. The final will be played in Dubai on 14 November. The complete results and fixtures are available on the page here and the points table here Scores in brief Pakistan beat Scotland at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah by 72 runs Pakistan 189/4 in 20 overs (Babar Azam 66, Shoaib Malik 54 not out; Chris Greaves 2/43, Hamza Tahir 1/24) Scotland 117/6 in 20 overs (Richie Berrington 54 not out, George Munsey 17; Shadab Khan 2/14, Shaheen Shah Afridi 1/24) Player of the Match: Shoaib Malik (Pakistan)

Sports Bulletin Report Abu Dhabi (November 7, 2021):-New Zealand sealed their place in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 semi-finals in style courtesy of a comfortable eight-wicket win over Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. Kane Williamson and Devon Conway’s unbroken 68-run third-wicket stand saw the Black Caps home with 11 balls to spare, securing their place as one of two Group 2 qualifiers alongside Pakistan and eliminating India in the process. Afghanistan had begun the match with slim qualifying hopes of their own but a poor start with the bat left them on the back foot on 19 for three. Najibullah Zadran’s sparkling 73 inspired a revival but Trent Boult was exceptional once more with the ball, taking three for 17 to limit Afghanistan to 124 for eight. And though New Zealand lost both openers in reply, Williamson and Conway – who finished unbeaten on 40 and 36 respectively – combined to steer their side home with a minimum of fuss and set up a semi-final with either England or Australia. Afghanistan opted to bat upon winning the toss but saw both openers dismissed in quick succession as New Zealand’s fast bowlers gained an early stranglehold. Mohammad Shahzad was superbly caught behind by Devon Conway attempting an upper-cut off Adam Milne before Trent Boult induced a leading edge from Hazratullah Zazai, whose departure left Afghanistan 12 for two. Tim Southee was next to strike, trapping Rahmanullah Gurbaz lbw, as the score limped to 23 for three by the end of the powerplay – the third lowest total after six overs in the tournament so far. Najibullah settled in more smoothly than his predecessors at the crease and got the scoreboard moving with consecutive boundaries off Jimmy Neesham. Another boundary off Ish Sodhi took Afghanistan past 50 but the spinner struck back in somewhat fortuitous fashion when a short ball was chopped on to his stumps by Gulbadin Naib. His departure saw Afghanistan reach the halfway point on 56 for four and Najibullah was content to nudge singles before stepping on the accelerator once more in the 14th over. Two sixes off Mitchell Santner, over long-on and deep midwicket respectively, took the run rate back above six, and Najibullah soon brought up his second half-century of the tournament – this one from 33 balls. He cleared the ropes again off Southee as Afghanistan looked for valuable late runs, though the seamer picked up his second scalp by holding a return catch to dismiss Mohammad Nabi for 14. The ever-reliable Boult then brought Najibullah's fine innings to an end, Neesham taking a fine diving catch at long-off, and also accounted for Karim Janat in a typically clinical death over. Neesham followed up by conceding just two from the final over, which also included the wicket of Rashid Khan from its final ball as Afghanistan set the Black Caps 125 to win. Knowing victory would be enough on its own, without net run-rate entering the equation, Martin Guptill and Daryl Mitchell made a steady start to the chase to lay the foundations. Mitchell cut the returning Mujeeb Ur Rahman to the point boundary but with the opening partnership worth 26, the spinner had his revenge in his next over by finding the batter’s outside edge. Williamson joined Guptill to safely negotiate the remainder of the powerplay, which concluded with consecutive Guptill boundaries off Mujeeb to take New Zealand to 45 for one. But the opener found life tougher against Rashid and fell aiming a heave at the spinner, who wheeled away to celebrate his 400th T20 wicket and give his side fresh hope. With Nabi’s off-breaks proving just as hard to get away, the Black Caps reached the halfway point of the chase on 61 for two – just five runs better off than Afghanistan at the same stage. Afghanistan continued to apply pressure, bringing close fielders in as the required rate ticked towards seven an over, and Williamson’s clip through the leg-side off Rashid midway through the 12th over brought his side’s first boundary for 33 balls. A typically elegant drive off Gulbadin brought the Black Caps skipper four more and Conway then made effective use of the sweep against Nabi, picking up consecutive boundaries before reverse sweeping Rashid through third man. The 50-run partnership came up in the 16th over as the pair continued to guide their side towards the finish line and Conway knocked the winning single down the ground from the first ball of the 19th over to seal his side’s progress. New Zealand will now wait until the conclusion of Pakistan’s clash with Scotland to discover their semi-final opponents. Should Pakistan win, New Zealand will finish second and take on England in Semi Final 1 in Abu Dhabi on 10 November. If Scotland are successful and the Black Caps finish top of the group, they will take on Australia in Semi Final 2 in Dubai the following day. Scores in brief New Zealand beat Afghanistan at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi by eight wickets Afghanistan 124/8 in 20 overs (Najibullah Zadran 73; Trent Boult 3/17, Tim Southee 2/24) New Zealand 125/2 in 18.1 overs (Kane Williamson 40 not out, Devon Conway 36 not out; Rashid Khan 1/27, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 1/31) Player of the Match: Trent Boult (New Zealand)