James Neesham recorded his career-best ODI bowling figures of five for 31, helping New Zealand bowl out Afghanistan for 172 after Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to field first. Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran were Neesham's scalps.
Lockie Ferguson took four for 37. Noor Ali Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Rashid Khan and Aftab Alam were his scalps.
Hashmatullah Shahidi top-scored for Afghanistan with a 99-ball 59, dragging Afghanistan to 172 after walking in at the fall of Noor Ali Zadran with 66 on the board. He was the last Afghanistan batsman to be dismissed, with Lockie Ferguson taking his wicket.
Martin Guptill's first-ball dismissal meant Kane Williamson walked in to face just the second ball of the innings. He made an unbeaten 99-ball 79, seeing New Zealand over the line, along the way sharing an 89-run partnership for the third wicket with Ross Taylor and an unbeaten 43-run stand with Tom Latham. Williamson hit the winning run for the Blackcaps.
Aftab Alam replaced Dawlat Zadran in the Afghanistan XI and ended the match as one of the positives to come out of an otherwise poor day for Afghanistan. He finished with three for 45 and taking the wicket of Martin Guptill with just the first ball of the innings and removing Colin Munro for 22 delayed New Zealand reaching the target of 173.
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