CHENNAI: Tim Seifert blasted a 42-ball 65 as New Zealand opened their T20 World Cup campaign with a five-wicket win over Afghanistan here on Sunday.
Opting to bat, Gulbadin Naib (63) smashed a fine fifty as Afghanistan posted a 182 for six. Sediqullah Atal (29) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (27) also chipped in with useful contributions. In reply, NZ romped home in 17.5 overs with Seifert (65) and Glenn Phillips (42) doing bulk of the runs.
For the Afghans, Naib and Sediqullah Atal added 79 runs off 51 balls for the third wicket but the general sense was that of labour on a pitch that had a hint of slowness.
It reflected in Afghanistan's scoring pattern - steady rather than flashy: 44/2 in Power Play, 77/2 after 10 overs and 130/3 after 15 overs. The last five overs produced further 52 runs, but ideally the Afghans would have wanted a few more on the board.
Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (27, 22b) looked in fine fettle, and even played a couple of typical scoops, but a slower delivery from pacer Lockie Ferguson disturbed his furniture in the sixth over.
In the same over, Ferguson, who used leg-cutters to good effect in this innings, jettisoned opener Ibrahim Zadran as Afghanistan found it tough to get off the blocks.
Naib, who brought up his fifty in 29 balls, played a forceful innings, tonking pacer Jacob Duffy for two sixes and a four as Afghanistan seemed to have found some move-on in the middle overs.
Atal played a good supporting role, but could not force the pace on his own and his stay was curtailed by Duffy. But his dismissal came as a blessing in disguise as Naib and Darwish Rasooli (20, 13b) added 33 in 17 balls as Afghanistan crossed the 150-run mark.
However, Naib fell to part-time spin of Rachin Ravindra in the 18th over as Afghanistan could not get a desired death over flourish. Azmatullah Omarzai hit a couple of sixes to push his side past the 180-run mark.
Brief Scores:
Afghanistan: 182 for six in 20 overs (Naib 63; Fergusen 2/32).
New Zealand: 183 for 5 in 17.5 overs (Seifert 65; Mujeeb 2/31).