Seifert powers New Zealand to their record T20 World Cup chase

(Web Desk/AFP) – Belligerent Tim Seifert helped New Zealand to annihilate Afghanistan by five wickets with 13 balls to spare in the fourth match of the ICC T20 World Cup in Chennai’s M. A. Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.

Chasing 182 run-target, Kiwi batsmen demolished Afghan bowling attack after losing two wickets in the second over bowled by Mujeeb Ur Rehman.

Opener Seifert then took charge and scored 65 runs off 42 balls hitting seven ffours and three sixes.Glenn Philips joined him and the pair added 74 runs for the third wicket before skipper Rashid Khan bowled him for 42. He hit seven fours and one six.

None of the Afghan bowlers stopped Kiwi batsmen's charge as they achieved the target in 17.5 overs. Mark Chapman scored 28 runs, Daryl Mitchell 25 and Mitchell Santner 17. 

Seifert led New Zealand's highest-ever run chase in a T20 World Cup match. Their previous best chase in the T20 World Cup was their 167 against England in the 2021 semi-final.

Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman had New Zealand in early trouble when he struck on successive balls in the second over of the chase to dismiss Finn Allen, for one, and Rachin Ravindra, for a duck.

The hat-trick was avoided by Phillips, who then got going with wicketkeeper Seifert in a partnership of 74 for the third wicket to thwart Afghanistan's spin-heavy attack.

Captain Rashid let out a roar as he broke through to dismiss Phillips, who inside edged onto his stumps.

Leg-spinner Rashid dropped Seifert on 48 off his own bowling and the batsman reached his fifty with a six off veteran spinner Mohammad Nabi.

Seifert hit Nabi for another six and a four on successive balls before the bowler had his revenge on the next when he top-edged to be caught in the deep.

Mark Chapman fell after a 17-ball 28 but Daryl Mitchell, on 25, and skipper Mitchell Santner, on 17, saw New Zealand to 183-5 and a comfortable victory.

Earlier, Gulbadin Naib led the charge Afghan charge after captain Rashid Khan won the toss and opted to bat. He hammered 63 runs off 35 balls as Afghans scored 182 runs for the loss of six wickets in their quota of 20 overs.

After losing openers for 44 runs, Gulbadin and Sediqullah Atal took the task of reviving the innings. Sediqullah contributed 29, Darwish Abdul Rasooli 20, Azmatullah Omarzai 14 and Mohammad Nabi 10.

Lockie Ferguson scared Afghanistan when he removed openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (27) and Ibrahim Zadran (10).

Coming in at number three, Naib scored 63 off 35 balls as Afghanistan recovered from 44-2 to a challenging total. He reached his fourth T20 fifty off 29 balls before he departed attempting a slog off left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra.

The openers struggled to score during the first power play in the Group D encounter.

Matt Henry nearly had Rahmanullah Gurbaz caught after he skied a top edge behind the stumps, but wicketkeeper Tim Seifert and Finn Allen collided as they both ran back and the chance went begging.

Pace bowler Lockie Ferguson struck twice in his opening over to send back Ibrahim Zadran, for 10, and then Gurbaz, bowled for 27 off an inside edge.

Afghanistan reached the semi-finals in the previous edition of the tournament in 2024 and on the way bowled out New Zealand for 75 after scoring 159-6 in a group match.

ENDLAND VS NEPAL

In the second match of the day at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, England won the toss and decided to bat against Nepal.

On the first day of the event, three matches were played. Pakistan beat the Netherlands in its opening Group A match by three wickets, India defeated the USA, while West Indies outplayed Scotland.