After losing Chris Gayle early on, Evin Lewis got together with Shai Hope to put up a partnership of 88 for the second-wicket. Lewis made 58 off 78 with six fours and two sixes and Hope scored the identical number of boundaries in an innings of 77. ▲
The Afghan players had a tough day on the field as all the players batting at number two to number six for West Indies scored 20-plus runs for the first time ever at the World Cup. Dawlat Zadran picked up two wickets for Afghanistan but was expensive, whereas Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Sayed Shirzad, playing his first game of the tournament, picked up a wicket each. ▲
West indies skipper Jason Holder joined the team's leading run-scorer at this year's World Cup Nicholas Pooran in the middle when the team was at 192 for 4 in 37.4 overs. Both of them helped West Indies go past the 300-mark by putting up a 105-run partnership for the fifth-wicket. ▲
Afghanistan lost an early wicket just like West Indies but both 18-year-old wicket-keeper Ikram Ali Khil, who came in one down, and the experienced Rahmat Shah notched up half-centuries and constructed a 133-run partnership to turn the match in the Asian side's favour. Ikram became the fourth youngest to score a World Cup half-century on his way to 86 off 93, while Rahmat scored 62 off 78. ▲
But chasing 312, Afghanistan was always behind the required run-rate and eventually fizzled out as the West indies players had a great time on the field, one final time this World Cup, and registered a 23-run victory. Kemar Roach finished with impressive figures of 3 for 37 in 10 overs with 2 maidens and Carlos Brathwaite took four crucial wickets. Chris Gayle and Oshane Thomas took a wicket each and there was an incredible run-out as Afghanistan was dismissed for 288. ▲
