Afghanistan vs England LIVE Updates, Champions Trophy: Joe Root is solid at one end, nearing his century, but England are five -down after losing the wicket of Jos Buttler in their chase of 326 against Afghanistan in a Champions Trophy match in Lahore. Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai have taken two wickets apiece while Rashid Khan has scalped one. Earlier, Ibrahim Zadran slammed a historic 177 to help Afghanistan post 325 for 7. Afghanistan were in tatters losing three wickets in the powerplay but that didn't stop Zadran from playing a blinder at the Gaddafi Stadium. Hashmatullah Shahidi (40), Azmatullah Omarzai (41) and Mohammad Nabi (40) also played handy cameos to help Zadran pust Afghanistan's total over 300. Both teams are in a do-or-die situation, as the loser will be eliminated from the tournament. (Live Scorecard)
AFG vs ENG Champions Trophy Live Updates
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38.4WGulbadin Naib to Liam Livingstone
OUT! c Rahmanullah Gurbaz b Gulbadin Naib.
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Who comes now?
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38.41 wdGulbadin Naib to Liam Livingstone
WIDE! Banged in a bit short again but this is spilled down the leg side for a wide.
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38.30Gulbadin Naib to Liam Livingstone
Off-paced delivery, short of a length and outside off, hit away off the back foot but straight to point.
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38.24Gulbadin Naib to Liam Livingstone
FOUR! Sheer timing! Back of a length again and just outside off, Livingstone presses back slightly and just punches it away behind point as the ball rolls away to the fence.
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38.10Gulbadin Naib to Liam Livingstone
Begins back of a length, slower too and over the top of off, Livingstone tentatively keeps it out.
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Change? Yes, Gulbadin Naib comes into the attack.
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37.64Noor Ahmad to Joe Root
FOUR! Joe Root holds the key for England and he moves into the 90s now. Flatter and angled across off, Root brings out the reverse sweep and hammers it in between backward point and short third for a timely boundary.
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37.51Noor Ahmad to Liam Livingstone
Too full and on off, punched away on the full down to long off for a single.
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37.40Noor Ahmad to Liam Livingstone
Beaten! The googly now, bowled at a gentle pace and on a length around off, Livingstone looks to drive but the ball angles further away and goes past the outside edge.
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37.31Noor Ahmad to Joe Root
On a fuller length around middle and leg, Root gets inside the line and pats it down to long on for another single.
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37.21Noor Ahmad to Liam Livingstone
Flatter and angled well across off, Livingstone goes down on one knee and slaps it towards sweeper cover for one.
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37.11Noor Ahmad to Joe Root
Nagging length, pushed across off, Joe Root hops back and jams it out into the off side for a quick single.
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36.64Azmatullah Omarzai to Liam Livingstone
FOUR! Streaky! Banged in on a hard length around off, Liam Livingstone looks to block but gets squared up and the ball flies off the outside edge and runs away fine into the deep third fence.
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Liam Livingstone comes out to bat at number seven. Fazalhaq Farooqi is also back on the field and he is looking good to continue further in the game. Another good news for Afghanistan as they are clearly back in the game with a big wicket of Jos Buttler.
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36.5WAzmatullah Omarzai to Jos Buttler
OUT! CAUGHT! Azmatullah Omarzai, the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2024 gets the big breakthrough and Jos Buttler has thrown it away. Azmat bowls a heavy bumper over middle and gets the height and line just correct. Buttler looks to take it on but isn't quite in control of the extra bounce and ends up hitting it over square leg. Rahmat Shah comes in from the deep and takes a simple catch as Buttler departs for 38 (42) and England are now 216/5!
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36.40Azmatullah Omarzai to Jos Buttler
On a good length and outside off, Jos Buttler walks across the off stump and looks for the lap but the ball is delivered slower and Buttler misses, wearing it on the pads.
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36.31Azmatullah Omarzai to Joe Root
Hard-length delivery, around the top of off, dabbed down into the leg side for a single by Root.
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36.21Azmatullah Omarzai to Jos Buttler
Risky single but good running in the end! Good length bowled around off, Buttler punches it straight to covers and sets off for the single. The fielder there has a shy at the bowler's end but just misses and Buttler dives in to safety.
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36.10Azmatullah Omarzai to Jos Buttler
Another half-hearted appeal for caught behind from Rahmanullah Gurbaz but the umpire turns it down. A well directed bumper from Azmat, banged in right around the helmet, Buttler takes his eyes off the ball while going for the pull and is beaten. There was a noise but not off the bat.