Cricket:England captain Stuart Broad saluted matchwinner Luke Wright after his brilliant 99 not out set the platform for a crushing win over Afghanistan at the World Twenty20. The defending champions piled up 196 for five and then bowled Afghanistan out for 80 in Colombo.
Wright crunched eight fours and six sixes from only 55 balls, and became the second Englishman this year to miss out on his country’s first Twenty20 century by just a single run. England are assured of a place in the Super Eight stages, irrespective of how they fare on Sunday against India — who have also qualified after their own opening Group A victory over Afghanistan.
Broad said: “We batted with maturity on a wicket we expected to play a little better for the batsmen actually. Luke Wright’s innings was outstanding and the way the guys struck the ball towards the end was very powerful and exciting to see.”
A late flurry from Gulbodin Naib, who scored a rapid unbeaten 44, ensured Afghanistan avoided total humiliation, having at one stage been 26 for eight. “They got a couple of runs towards the end, that’s to be expected in Twenty20 cricket,” Broad added. “But we’re delighted with that performance. It’s a great way to start the tournament. Hopefully we can kick on as well.”
Wright, absent for nine Twenty20 matches until Ravi Bopara’s loss of form necessitated his return this month, could manage only two from the final ball of the innings to finish stranded one run short of three figures. His 99 came three months after team-mate Alex Hales had been dismissed for the same score at Trent Bridge against West Indies.
Number three Wright today shared stands of 69 for the second wicket with Hales, and then 72 for the third with Eoin Morgan. He came to the crease with England immediately up against it, after being put into bat under lights.
Craig Kieswetter allowed Shapoor Zadran to open the match with five dot balls and then edged the sixth down on to his stumps as the left-armer began with a wicket maiden. It took England 10 balls before they managed to score off Shapoor. But there were then 19 runs off the bat, including a memorable straight six from Wright from the last ball, as Shapoor’s third over cost 23 in all.
Hales was run out at the non-striker’s end, when Wright drove one straight back at Karim Sadiq, and several of the ‘middle’ overs then belonged to the Afghan spinners while Morgan found his range. But Wright hit leg-spinner Samiullah Shenwari for his second six, high over long-on — and the charge was soon on.
Morgan managed only one boundary shot, a six over midwicket off Mohammad Nabi, but operated at better than run-a-ball rate before he holed out in the leg-side ring.