New Zealand crush Afghanistan, Mitch Santner catch

New Zealand subjected giant-slayers Afghanistan to a brutal reality check on Wednesday when they exploited a disastrous performance on the field to claim a 149-run win at the Cricket World Cup.

Glenn Phillips, Tom Latham and Will Young all scored half-centuries and took advantage of dropped catches to score a contesting 288-6.

The Black Caps then cruised through Afghanistan, who had shocked defending champions England last time out, for just 139 in 34.4 overs.

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“I thought 250 was normal. We are in an environment where we continue to work for each other and play as a team,” said man of the match Phillips who made 71.

This victory gives New Zealand, runners-up at the last two World Cups, a fourth victory in as many matches and comfortably on their way to the semi-finals.

Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson took 3-19, spinner Mitchell Santner took 3-39 while veteran seamer Trent Boult scored 2-18 as New Zealand turned the screw.

Santner also stunned with an epic one-handed catch that dismissed Hashmatullah Shahidi for eight.

Santner had to backpedal before removing the hook with one hand.

Afghanistan has one victory and three defeats in four matches.

“We are very disappointed because at this level, you have to make this kind of capture. In the end, these catches hurt us,” admitted captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, one of the worst offenders.

They had hoped that Rahmanullah Gurbaz could repeat his fireworks display against England when he made 80.

However, on Wednesday the opener was cleaned up by Matt Henry in the sixth for just 11.

Boult dismissed Ibrahim Zadran (14) and Azmatullah Omarzai (27) while Rachin Ravindra dismissed Rahmat Shah who was Afghanistan’s top scorer with 36.

Santner completed 100 wickets in his 98th ODI when he dismissed Mohammad Nabi for seven before destroying the rest of the batting in the company of Ferguson.

Earlier, Phillips hit 71 from 80 balls, Latham made 68 from 74 and opener Young 54 from 64 balls to rescue New Zealand from a precarious 110-4 after being sent into bat on slow terrain.

Mark Chapman took a quick 25 from 12 balls with two fours and a six as New Zealand scored 62 runs in the last five overs.

Afghanistan lost as many as five captures.

These included Young being dropped by Rahmat Shah off Fazalhaq Farooqi before scoring in the first over while skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi dropped Ravindra on nil and Latham on 38.

New Zealand got off to a slow start of 30 in the seventh over when Mujeeb Ur Rahman removed Devon Conway for 20.

Young, replacing skipper Kane Williamson who fractured his thumb in the last match, added 79 for the second wicket with Ravindra scoring a 41-ball 32.

But Afghanistan hit back with three wickets off just nine balls for a run as pacer Omarzai dismissed Ravindra and Young at the same time.

Young had three sixes and four boundaries in his knock.

In the next over, Rashid Khan had Daryl Mitchell for one as New Zealand lost their way.

It was left to Phillips, who hit four sixes and as many boundaries, to join stand-in skipper Latham in a solid fifth stand of 144 to restart the innings.

Latham hit three boundaries and two sixes, but he and Phillips fell to add just one run, leaving Chapman to provide late impetus.

Fast bowlers Naveen-ul-Haq and Omarzai took two wickets each.