England chasing 161 to beat Afghanistan: Cricket World Cup warmup – live!

“Confused of Tooting writes…” begins Gary Naylor. “Are warm-up matches (in all sports) a bit of a

zero
-1 sum game Rob? There’s potential for injury, a confidence-damaging shellacking, a dressing-room spat but, perversely, they do seem to be necessary to avoid ‘undercookedness’. Yet has anyone ever said the words, ‘It was the warm-up matches wot won it’?”

Not as far as I know. But plenty have said, ‘It was the lack of warm-up matches wot lost it.’ It’s a tricky one, isn’t it. I wonder if these games were more useful before they were televised/OBOed to within an inch of their life.

Thanks Will, hello everyone; it’s the great Rob Smyth (!) here. That was just what the doctor ordered for England in more ways than one. No injuries, no alarms or surprises, and a useful bowling spell from Joe Root in particular. The best is yet to come – a chance to have a net against Afghanistan’s magical mystery spinners.

Anyway … a slightly shorter first innings than expected there. On the upside, you don’t have to put up with me any longer, as the great Rob Smyth is primed to take the reins.

England might have got it done far quicker if Archer or another seamer came on sooner but they really wanted to test the spinners against players used to the turning ball, especially Rashid who has had a minor shoulder issue recently. Root will be pleased, too, as his variations looked more than competent, even if Stokes has just joked that it’s the best he’s seen them bowl. Surely England should knock these off easily.

Well … it’s all over for Afghanistan inside 39 overs. It was not a great effort from them, to be honest. The top order did not get used to the conditions, leaving their other batsmen with plenty to do and, frankly, they made some poor decisions at crucial times.

Nabi flashes a top edge down to third man where Bairstow is waiting on the boundary, he is just inside the rope, taking the catch cleanly and then throwing it up to claim for a second time as he nips over the rope to regain his balance. Clever stuff from Bairstow.

38th over: Afghanistan 156-9 (Dawlat 20, Nabi 40) Against the odds, Afghanistan have made it to 150! Nabi is trusting Dawlat with more of the strike following his lusty blows. He repays the faith with a chip straight down the ground which looks like it’s going for four until Stokes pulls it in.There’s no mistake a couple of balls later with a smash that forces the umpire to do a star jump to get out of the way.

37th over: Afghanistan 149-9 (Dawlat 14, Nabi 39) Nabi steps down the track but Rashid sees him coming, dropping it shot and the batsman cannot get it away. He looks to send the ball out of the ground, only to bottom edge it for a single that does not make it off the square. Dawlat sends one deep into the stands over long-on while the batsman was on one knee. A cracking shot from supposedly the worst batsman in this team. It’s gone 90m!

36th over: Afghanistan 142-9 (Dawlat 8, Nabi 38) Will we see any seam before the end of the innings? Moeen continues, giving away a run after Nabi hits one straight to him, with the spinner eyeing a chance to run out the non-striker, he chucks the ball over the stumps, allowing them to go through for a single. He tosses one up to Dawlat who does not look like a No 11 as he plays a lofted drive over cover for four.

35th over: Afghanistan 136-9 (Dawlat 3, Nabi 37) Still a trial by spin here with Rashid going into his fifth over. Nabi fails to pick the wrong ‘un but gets away with it as his bat is just about in the right place. Then he fails to really connect when trying to sweep, with the ball clanging into his Adam’s Apple off his wrist. Due to the injury they decide to take drinks while he is treated with four ball still remaining in the over. He is able to continue, clipping the ball to fine leg for a couple. Dawlat takes the strike with a single off the back ball.

A bit of a sudden drinks break, so here’s Brian Withington: “No usurping intended! On another topic, I believe that the mighty Geoff Lemon has sold his immortal soul to the TMS team in order to commentate on the Aus v Afghanistan game at Bristol. I am almost tempted to break the habit of recent times and actually follow their coverage with the volume up (eyes still glued to OBO of course).”

It doesn’t take much to usurp me, do not worry. I am also happy to sellout to anyone who will pay me more (or an office with a decent coffee machine).

34th over: Afghanistan 132-9 (Dawlat 2, Nabi 34) Nabi is looking to get some big runs here but it takes him to the fourth ball to get a single. Dawlat then nudges one for himself but Nabi then gets another off the last ball to get himself back on strike.

Ian Forth asks: “What have you chosen to binge watch this week that your girlfriend doesn’t mind missing, Will? Please be more imaginative than the 2005 Ashes.”

I’ve been eyeing up a Mexican political documentary for a while. It’s called 1994.

33rd over: Afghanistan 129-9 (Dawlat 1, Nabi 31) That’s nice, Stokes has just done up Aftab’s laces. That sort of thing at school which would result in me tying them together. Very mature from Stokes. Aftab eases a point down to point to get Nabi on strike. Root is back into the attack, losing a little accuracy with a wayward one down legside for a wide. He makes up for it by getting Aftab out. If Dawlat is worse than Aftab there is not much hope here but he does manage to get off strike.

Not really what Aftab was supposed to do as he tries to carve Root through cover, instead edging the ball to Rashid at short third man. He just needed to stay in to help Nabi.

32nd over: Afghanistan 124-8 (Aftab 5, Nabi 30) Aftab gets Nabi back onto strike with a clip down legside. That will be his job for the remainder of his innings. Nabi proves his is the right tactic by whacking Rashid over extra for a big, flat six. Aftab takes a run off the final ball of the over for some reason.

31st over: Afghanistan 115-8 (Aftab 3, Nabi 23) CRASH! BANG! WALLOP! WHAT A SHOT! Nabi gets the Afghans on their feet by stepping down the track to Moeen and smashing him straight over long off for a big six. He then gets in a massive stride and slog sweeps for another maximum over midwicket. Moeen is not happy with the ball and a new one is brought out by an additional match official. After a slow period for Afghanistan this was much needed. Things have gone so well for Nabi he has decided he should keep the strike regardless. Saying that, he hits one down to the boundary for an easy two, taking them rather than keeping the strike for the next over.

Brian Withington has usurped me: “I was just thinking that Aftab was looking pleasingly agricultural but then saw you had beaten me to it. Can I up my game and offer ‘bucolic’ instead. Proper tailender.”

30th over: Afghanistan 101-8 (Aftab 3, Nabi 9) Block, nudge, push, sweep; no runs from the first four. Nabi gets a single from the fifth but it’s all pretty flat out there for Afghanistan.

29th over: Afghanistan 100-8 (Aftab 3, Nabi 8) Aftab does not lack confidence and fancies taking on Moeen but just doesn’t have the armoury to do so. The six balls go for nothing, despite his backlift getting increasingly higher.

28th over: Afghanistan 100-8 (Aftab 3, Nabi 8) Rashid beats Aftab first up, Buttler takes off the bails but there is no chance he has lifted his foot. Aftab gets off strike with a push through cover. Nabi is Afghanistan’s only hope to get this score up to something respectable but he is happy to rotate the strike still despite Aftab’s agricultural tendencies. He does manage to bring the hundred up for by attempting to smash the ball to the boundary, only succeeding in sending it 10 yards but gives them time to scamper for one.

27th over: Afghanistan 97-8 (Aftab 1, Nabi 7) The first decent shot from an Afghan for a while, as Nabi gets down on one need to caress a sweep to fine leg for two. Aftab gets on strike and tries to whack the ball out of the ground without the use of any technique, just a classic heave-ho instead. Gets one for it.

26th over: Afghanistan 93-8 (Aftab 0, Nabi 4) I knew Afghanistan’s batting was frail but this is has been pretty poor from them, plenty of bad shots and woeful decisions. On the upside, Adil Rashid is on. Nabi strokes a single to long-off, leaving five balls for Aftab who does not look like a batsman. He just about picks a googly but then complete misses a half tracker, as it hits him in the midriff.

Dean Kinsella emails to say: “If your girlfriend has left any humble pie in the fridge, I might pop round for a slice this evening. On Saturday’s OBO I opined these Afghani’s will take some beating after thrashing Pakistan. I’ll bring some custard.”

It’s an offer …

25th over: Afghanistan 92-8 (Aftab 0, Nabi 3) Root is really being given a full spell here. Maybe they should try out Roy or Vince to see if they can do a job with the ball. Afghanistan nudge a couple of singles around as taking risks is pretty pointless at this stage. Oh … then they lose two wickets in two balls. Ignore me. It was a cracking reaction catch from Stokes, it must be said. Aftab takes an age to come out, one assumes as he wasn’t ready. He jogs down the steps with his helmet and gloves in hand.

Khan edges Root to Stokes at slip for a golden duck. This is going woefully.

Nabi cuts the ball down to the boundary at third man, forcing Bairstow to run round and cut off. It’s an easy two but for some reason they decide to go for a third, which doesn’t materialise as it’s a good throw from Bairstow, allowing Buttler to whip the bails off.

24th over: Afghanistan 88-6 (Najib 0, Nabi 0) After missing out on a few loose deliveries, Gulbadin makes no mistake with a wide one from Moeen, smashing him for four beyond point for four. That shot was ruined by a silly run out and the captain giving his wicket away, leaving Afghanistan with two players on nought in. Will this innings last 50 overs? Probably not.

Not great from the skipper after just losing a wicket, as he lofts Moeen down the throat of Stokes at long-on. The England man had to make up a bit of ground but that was really easy. This is going terribly for Afghanistan.

Poor running costs Afghanistan as they try to take a second to Plunkett who rockets in a throw to the non-striker’s end where Moeen does the rest. It goes up to the third umpire who quickly sees Hashmat has failed to make his ground, as he departs for 19 from 53 balls.

23rd over: Afghanistan 83-4 (Gulbadin 9, Hashmat 19) Root opens with a leggy which fails to land, allowing Gulbadin to flick for one through midwicket. Was that a flipper from Root? Looked like he almost nailed it. He is rushing through his overs, is this a plan for the World Cup to unsettle opponents? Root offers a freebie to Hashmat who slashes it to the cover boundary but it is stopped in time, allowing only one. The spinner then drops one short but Gulbadin can only find deep midwicket.

22nd over: Afghanistan 78-4 (Gulbadin 6, Hashmat 17) There’s a half-hearted appeal for an LBW to Hashmat but no one is very interested in it. The left-hander then decides to use his feet, coming down the ground to lift a drive to long-off for a single. At least he is showing some intent.

John Starbuck has some advice: “While your girlfriend is away you’ll need to guard against takeaways, pork pies or bacon sandwich tendencies. Self-discipline matters; this applies to cricket too, of course.”

Tonight’s wine is already in the fridge.

21st over: Afghanistan 75-4 (Gulbadin 5, Hashmat 16) How’s the cricket going? Well … the broadcaster has decided the best idea is to show shots of Tower Bridge and the London Eye. Root is looking good and keeping things tight, so much so Hashmat sets off for a single that isn’t there in an attempt to rotate strike but is turned back to avoid disaster. Just two from the over.

20th over: Afghanistan 74-4 (Gulbadin 4, Hashmat 15) Moeen is into the attack. He offers plenty of width to Gulbadin but he whacks it straight at Woakes at cover. Gulbadin takes his anger out on the stumps at the other end by smashing the ball straight at them. He picks up the over’s only run off the final ball.

19th over: Afghanistan 73-4 (Gulbadin 3, Hashmat 15) Root is using his cameo bowling appearance to test his full repertoire of deliveries from the casual off-spinner to leggies. They look decent to be fair. Afghanistan are happy to take singles off him but they can’t get too much more from him.

Andrew Benton emails in: “Can we do a TMS and add diminutive Suffixes to the OBO team’s names this summer? How’s (the) Willster for you? Or Willo, Wills, Willsie, Willings, Willini? Will the Conqueror? Will the Great OBOlogist?

“England have absolutely got to get back to winning big today, otherwise doubts and some “they’re-only-warm-up-games” complacency might start to creep in to their collective thinking. I still don’t trust their robustness as a team under heavy pressure.”

Ermmm … you’re welcome to call me what you want, I’ll be honest. If England lose from here it will be a huge blow to their confidence, I would say.

18th over: Afghanistan 69-4 (Gulbadin 1, Hashmat 13) Gulbadin is also being tested with some bouncers, arching back to avoid a whack in the chops. He looks solid in defence, but so have all his teammates. He misses out, as Stokes bowls a full toss well outside off-stump but he smacks it straight at cover.

Anthony Pease feels this text commentary is not supplying all he needs, but it’s not gone too well for him: “On TMS, there’s currently a discussion featuring the words “Stormzy” and “dubstep”. I’m not a religious man, but this is one of the harbingers of the apocalypse, isn’t it?”

There will be minimal Stormzy or dubstep chat here as I am a cultural failure. I will be happy to discuss food, Morse, my cricket career and what to do while my girlfriend is on holiday this week.

17th over: Afghanistan 68-4 (Gulbadin 1, Hashmat 12) What a drinks break! I managed four sips of water. If anyone can bring me some coffee that would be great as the machine stuff here does not provide the required caffeine fix. Eoin Morgan is the man handing out the sugary water on the outfield to his England players, which is nice.

Root is getting a bowl and picks up his wicket second ball. Gulbadin gets off the mark first up, nudging a leg spinner for one to the legside. England have a slip in to Hashmat but he happily drives for one down the ground.

Root comes on for a chuck, loops up a full toss first up to lure Afghan into a false sense of security, as he than charges him to smash one out of the ground, only succeeding in finding Roy at long-on.

16th over: Afghanistan 66-3 (Afghan 10, Hashmat 11) The crowd comes alive as Afghan flashes a cut past point down to the boundary. A cracking shot from the right-hander, which will hopefully get his innings going. Hashmat sees a bit of width and aims to lift it down to third man but gets nowhere near the ball. DRINKS!

Romeo emails in to say: “I think you should refer to Asghar Afghan as Asghar. It’s what most people do, and also did before he changed his name.”

I am just following ICC guidelines here, as I am polite.

15th over: Afghanistan 61-3 (Afghan 5, Hashmat 11) England are mixing it up here, getting in quite a few short balls to rough up the batsmen, as they don’t seem to fancy bouncers, forcing them to get out of the way rather than take them on. The first run of the over comes from the fifth ball as Hashmat pushes one through cover for an ambled single.