LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Afghanistan eliminated ragged England from the Champions Trophy with a stunning eight-run victory on Wednesday.
Opening batter Ibrahim Zadran smashed the tournament’s highest-ever individual score of 177 off 146 balls with 12 fours and six sixes and led Afghanistan to 325-7.
England was bowled out for 317 with Joe Root’s 120 off 111 balls going in vain.
Root had kept England in the hunt, but once he gloved fast bowler Azmat Omarzai (5-58) behind the wickets in the 46th over, Afghanistan kept its nerve despite a few fumbles in the field to record a memorable win with one ball to spare.
It was Afghanistan’s second win against England in a major 50-over ICC tournament; it recorded a 69-run victory in the 2023 World Cup in India.
“As a team we are happy and I’m sure the whole nation will be happy with this win,” Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said.
“The beauty of our team is we have talented youngsters and at the same time we have senior guys who are at the top level. Hopefully we take this momentum with us for the next game against Australia.”
Afghanistan must beat two-time champion Australia in its last Group B match at the same venue Friday to seal its second straight semifinal in an ICC tournament after playing last year’s T20 World Cup playoffs.
England, which lost a high-scoring game to Australia at the same venue, will wrap up its disappointing run in the tournament with the match against semifinal contender South Africa at Karachi on Saturday.