Table of Contents
The fourteenth match of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 saw England’s dominating win over Afghanistan. Jos Buttler & Co. decimated Mohammad Nabi’s Afghan side by 5 wickets.
Putting up a spirited bowling display, Sam Curran-starrer England bundled out Afghanistan for a paltry 112 in the 20-over contest. Left-arm-pacer Curran became the first England bowler to pick up a five-wicket haul in the shortest format of the game. Chasing 113 for victory, the Three Lions reached the finish line in 18.1 overs. Liam Livingstone remained unbeaten on 29 off 21 balls, with Moeen Ali (8 not out off 10) at the other end.
During the match, Livingstone also produced one of the most amazing fielding efforts in the tournament.
Livingstone’s acrobatic catch
Livingstone once again proved his worth as a fielder by pulling off a sensation catch to dismiss Afghanistan opener Hazratullah Zazai.
It all happened in the seventh over of the first essay. Ben Stokes bowled a short-pitch delivery wide outside off; Zazai tried to hit the ball for a maximum, but could only find Livingstone, who made a full-stretched dive to complete the catch at backward point.
Here’s the video:
Sensational catch by Liam Livingstone….even Ben Stokes enjoyed that.@liaml4893 @benstokes38 #ENGvAFG #T20WorldCup #T20worldcup22 pic.twitter.com/iNTMALHVkn
— Imran Munawar (@Imran_Munawar99) October 22, 2022
“Coming into the tournament, there’s always a few nerves. We’ve been playing a lot of cricket to buld up to this point. There’s a lot of anticipation. To get out there and get a win under our belt is fantastic,” Buttler – the winning captain – said in the post-match presentation.
England will next take on Ireland in their second match of Super 12 stage at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Wednesday, October 26.
