INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
West Indies defeated Afghanistan by 104 runs in the final group stage game of the T20 World Cup on Tuesday.Nicholas Pooran&s blistering 98
off 53 balls (six fours, eight sixes) highlighted a dominant batting effort by West Indies as they piled up 218 for five after being put in
as the two Super Eight qualifiers sparred in advance of the next phase of the tournament starting on Wednesday.Afghanistan were bundled out
for 114 off 16.2 overs in reply.Coming to the middle in the second over after the demise of Brandon King, Pooran and hometown hero Johnson
Charles (43 off 27 balls) accelerated at supersonic speed in lifting the total to 92-1 by the sixth over.It was the highest total ever in
the Powerplay overs of a T20 World Cup since the first of the eight editions was played in South Africa in 2007.That period of carnage
included 36 off an over from seamer Azmatullah Omarzai, whose wayward bowling in the fourth over of the innings reflected the confused state
of an Afghan team that previously had things much their own way in the field in their first three matches in the group.But it was Omarzai
who ended Pooran&s pursuit of the century in the final over of the innings, his direct hit to the striker&s end from deep cover leaving the
left-hander just short of his ground as he dived to the crease in attempting to complete a second run.There was some consolation in getting
to 2,000 T20I runs towards the end of his innings, but most importantly it represented a return to his best at a time when the West Indies
are likely to need his phenomenal power-hitting in the Super Eight stage.With all the frontline Afghan bowlers taking a hammering it was
left to Gulbadin Naib to help pull things back with 2-14 off two overs, the wickets of Shai Hope and captain Rovman Powell helping to put a
measure of restraint on the rampant West Indies batting.(AFP)Related stories:India edge Pakistan in low-scoring nailbiter at T20 World
CupAustralia sink Scots at T20 World CupThe post West Indies beat Afghanistan in final group game first appeared on Ariana News.
