ICC Men's T20 World Cup Abu Dhabi Afghanistan 124-8 (20 runs: Zadran 73, 48); Boult 3--17 New Zealand 125-2 (18.1 innings): Williamson 41* (42), Conway36* (32) New Zealand won with eight wickets Scorecard Tables
New Zealand beat Afghanistan clinically by eight wickets in order to reach the semi-finals at the Men's T20 World Cup. This victory eliminated India, pre-tournament favorites.
The Black Caps will join Pakistan in moving from Group 2 to the final four.
They held Afghanistan to 124-8, which was a victory that would have been crucial for their slim hopes of retaining them in the future.
Najibullah Zdran scored 73 runs from 48 balls, but Trent Boult hit 3-17. The New Zealand fielders managed to make three great catches.
Daryl Mitchell was out for 17 runs and Martin Guptill 28. However, captain Kane Williamson struck a calm 40 as his side won with 11 balls remaining.
New Zealand is now the leader of the group, but unbeaten Pakistan could retake the title with victory over Scotland in the final group match. It starts at 14:00 GMT in Sharjah.
India lost to Afghanistan in the first two games of their series and is out of contention for their last match against Namibia on Monday.
Professional New Zealand goes down Afghanistan - and India
Although there was a small crowd in Abu Dhabi, there were many millions of people interested in the match around the globe. This match decided the fates of the three countries in the tournament.
Ravichandran Ashwin, India spinner, tweeted his support to Afghanistan before the match. Unfortunately for Indian and Afghan hopes though, New Zealand is probably the most professional team in cricket.
Boult, Tim Southee, and Adam Milne, their trusted seamers, reduced Afghanistan to 19-3. Any hope of an upset was already fading within six overs.
New Zealand's fielding skills were outstanding. Devon Conway, wicketkeeper, made a great catch to get Mohammad Shahzad out. Jimmy Neesham's tumble at long-off was a dismissal for Zadran. Williamson held onto a ball that dropped over his shoulder as he ran back to extra cover to save Rashid Khan.
Daryl Mitchell also saved Rashid from a stunning diving boundary save, which resulted in Rashid not getting a six at the mid-wicket border.
New Zealand was more measured in their pursuit, but Conway won two fours in the fourteenth to ease any pressure.
Williamson finished 36th, Conway was not out, and the pair shared an unbeaten stand at 68. However, Conway should have been caught in the early stages of Afghanistan when it did not appeal for replays that showed a thin edge.
Conway calmly won the penultimate with the winning runs. This win, unless Scotland beats Pakistan, will set up another 50-over World Cup final.
It will also start an inquest in India, marking the first time India has not reached the semi-finals in a men's 50-over or 20-over World Cup.
England is an "exciting challenge" - Reaction
Kane Williamson, New Zealand captain: "It's a strong performance. We know how dangerous they can be with match winners from all departments. We knew there were big threats on the surface of 150, so we tried our best to make it work.
Trent Boult, New Zealand's bowler: "The boys seem in good spirits. There are big games up and we look forward the semi-final. It's been exciting to watch England play some great cricket.
Mohammad Nabi, Afghanistan captain: "It was our plan to put a decent amount on the board. We didn't start well and we didn't finish well after a 50 partnership. We had 30 runs less than we expected.
"We played good cricket in the tournament, we take a lot out of it and work on it for future games."
