Half-centuries from the West Indies' new guard of Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran guided the West Indies to a face-saving 23-run win over Afghanistan in their final ICC World Cup match at Headingley in Leeds, England, Thursday.
Hope hit 77 while Hetmyer and Pooran added 58 each to steer the regional side to 311 for six before they restricted the Afghans to 288 despite an impressive 86 from teenager Ikram Alikhil.
Alikhil and opener Rahmat Shah batted solidly in a run 133-run second-wicket partnership as they punished some wayward West Indies bowling and gave their team a fighting chance while they were at the crease.
However, once Shah, who struck 10 fours off 78 balls, was dismissed with the score on 138 for two by medium-pacer Carlos Brathwaite, the Windies got the opening they needed. With the run rate building thereafter, Alikhil was forced to push on until he was trapped lbw by veteran Chris Gayle, in his last World Cup, who delivered a much-needed breakthrough with his part-time off-breaks when the main strike bowlers were struggling.
Brathwaite grabbed a tournament-best four wickets for 63 runs while pacer Kemar Roach, back in the side after illness kept him out the last match, bagged three for 37.
The Windies' win was only their second in the competition and kept them cemented at ninth on the 10-team table with five points. The Afghans ended their campaign without a point. Leaders Australia (14 pts), India (13), England (12) and New Zealand (11) were already assured of places in the semi-finals heading into the match, since Pakistan cannot overhaul the Kiwis even if they produce a win against Bangladesh Friday.
Earlier, a 105-run fifth-wicket partnership between Pooran and Holder helped give the Caribbean side a late impetus and push them over the 300-plus mark after the Afghan bowlers made them labour in the field for their runs.
Pooran, coming off a century in his last innings, hit a 43-ball 58 while Holder hit 45 off 34 balls, including four sixes and a four. But both were dismissed in the 49th over bowled by Sayed Shirzad with the team still three runs short of 300. The big-hitting Carlos Brathwaite then hit two fours and a six to take the team to what they felt was a defendable total.
After the early loss of veteran opener Chris Gayle (7), Evin Lewis and Shai Hope had also shared in an 88-run partnership to lay a good platform for the middle-order. Hope also shared a 65-run partnership with Shimron Hetmyer (39) before going on for a top-score of 77 from 92 balls with six fours and two sixes.
Dawlat Zadran was the best bowler for Afghanistan with two wickets for 73 runs.
SCORES:
WEST INDIES 311-6 (50) (Shai Hope 77, Nicholas Pooran 58, Evin Lewis, 58, Dawlat Zadran 2/73) v AFGHANISTAN 288 all out (50) (Ikram Alikhil 86, Rahmat Shah 62, Carlos Brathwaite 4/63, Kemar Roach 3/37)
Result: West Indies won by 23 runs