Afghanistan eliminate England from Champions Trophy with 8-run win

Afghanistan eliminated ragged England from the Champions Trophy with a stunning eight-run victory on Wednesday.

Opening batter Ibrahim Zadran smashed the tournament's highest-ever individual score of 177 off 146 balls with 12 fours and six sixes and led Afghanistan to 325-7.

England was bowled out for 317 with Joe Root's 120 off 111 balls going in vain.

Root had kept England in the hunt, but once he gloved Azmat Omarzai (5-58) behind the wickets in the 46th over, Afghanistan kept its nerve to record a memorable win with one ball to spare.

Afghanistan must beat two-time champion Australia in its last Group B match at the same venue Friday to seal its second straight semifinal in an ICC tournament after playing last year's T20 World Cup playoffs.

England, which lost a high-scoring game to Australia at the same venue, will wrap up its disappointing run in the tournament with the match against semifinal contender South Africa at Karachi on Saturday.

Ibrahim Zadran plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy match. AP

Earlier, England fast bowler Jofra Archer struck three early blows including two in one over starting with Rahmanullah Gurbaz bowled for six.

Jofra and new-ball partner Mark Wood worked up fast speeds between 145 kmph and 150 kmph but were soon jolted by an injury to Wood, who twice left the field.

Wood's absence after bowling just four overs allowed Zadran to counter attack, forcing skipper Jos Buttler to rotate his bowling options.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid finally broke the stand as he bowled Shahidi who failed to connect an attempted reverse sweep and the ball rattled the stumps.

Zadran reached his seventh ODI ton with a single of Liam Livingstone as he and Azmatullah Omarzai changed gears in a brisk stand of 72 until Omarzai departed on 41.

Zadran remained unaffected by the wicket as he kept up the attack and hammered a six and three fours off Archer.

Wood went off again after bowling another set of four overs with Buttler left to manage his options against a rampaging Zadran and Nabi.

Zadran finally fell to Livingstone, who also sent back Nabi in the final over.

Afghanistan previously faced England in an ODI in the 2023 World Cup in New Delhi where they shocked the defending champions with a stunning victory.

Agencies