James Neesham finished with career-best figures of 5-31 off his 10 overs
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
James Neesham took a career-best five-wicket haul and captain Kane Williamson scored an unbeaten 79 as New Zealand maintained their unbeaten streak at the World Cup with a seven-wicket win over Afghanistan.
Being put in to bat first Afghanistan got off to a great start as openers Hazratullah Zazai and Noor Ali Zadran amassed a 66-run partnership before Zazai was dismissed by Neesham for 34.
Noor went on to score 31 before he was caught behind off the bowling of Lockie Ferguson.
Neesham then took out Rahmat Shah and captain Gulbadin Naib for a duck and four runs respectively.
He also had Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran caught behind for nine and four runs respectively to complete his maiden ODI five-for.
Ikram Alikhil only scored two runs before he was caught by Martin Guptill at backward point off the bowling of Colin de Grandhomme.
Rashid Khan was bowled by Ferguson after the ball ricocheted off his helmet and did not take to the field after that as a precautionary measure.
Ferguson also sent Aftab Alam packing for 14 before Afghanistan were bowled out for 172 when Hashmatullah Shahidi was dismissed by Ferguson for 59, which came off 99 balls and included nine boundaries.
Neesham was the pick of the bowlers with five wickets, while Ferguson snapped up four and De Grandhomme chipped in with one.
Chasing 173 to win, New Zealand got off to the worst possible start as Guptill was caught by Najibullah at point off the bowling of Aftab on the first ball of the innings.
Colin Munro and Williamson added 41 runs to the score before Munro was caught by Hamid Hassan at third man off the bowling of Aftab for 22.
Williamson and Ross Taylor kept the runs flowing with an 89-run partnership, during which Williamson brought up his fifty, before Taylor was clean bowled by Aftab for 48.
Williamson and Tom Latham mopped up the remaining runs as New Zealand won the match with 107 balls to spare.
Williamson finished on 79, which came off 99 balls and included nine boundaries, while Latham remained undefeated on 13, which came off 18 deliveries and included a solitary boundary.
Aftab claimed all three wickets that New Zealand lost.
Neesham was named Man of the Match.