Pat Cummins claimed his second hat-trick in as many matches as Afghanistan lost momentum after another century opening stand from and had to settle for a total of 148-6 against Australia in their T20 World Cup Super Eight match.
A top score of 60 off 49 balls (four fours, four sixes) by Rahmanullah Gurbaz and 51 off 48 balls (six fours) from Ibrahim Zadran gave the Afghans an excellent platform of 118.
It was their third century partnership of the tournament and was reached by the 16th over after they were put in to bat by Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh.
The Afghans had ridden their luck via half-chances and misfields in gaining the ascendancy but four wickets for eight runs put Australia back within range to overhaul the target and essentially confirm a place in next week’s semi-finals with one Super Eight match still to play in Group One against India on Monday.
Marcus Stoinis made the breakthrough and leg-spinner Adam Zampa applied the brakes with two wickets.
Yet it was Cummins, who claimed a hat-trick against Bangladesh against in Antigua on Thursday, who essentially switched off the Afghanistan innings with the wicket of Rashid Khan at the end of the 18th over before adding Karim Janat and Gulbadin Naim at the start of the final over of the innings.
