🏏ICC Men's T20I WC 2022: Super 12 - Group 1 - NZ vs AFG - 26/10/22🏏 - Page 2

6.05 pm Good evening and welcome to ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of the second half of today's doubleheader from the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup as Afghanistan take on New Zealand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. I'm Peter Della Penna and will be joined a bit later by Shashank Kishore. This match is going to be a bit delayed due to the spillover from the England v Ireland match after rain delayed the Ireland innings earlier in the day.

6.52 pm More rain has halted the England chase. Enough to make it likely that they won't get back on the field before the official cutoff time. It also means that the start to Afghanistan v New Zealand will be further pushed back. It's now official. Ireland have beaten England by five runs on DLS.

6.30 pm England are only beginning their 13th over of the chase now. So we won't just have a delayed toss but a delayed start to Afghanistan v New Zealand as well because ICC rules stipulate a minimum of 30 minutes between matches played on the same ground at the tournament.

Hamza: Why do you want to have the same venue for multiple games in a day? Australia have so many grounds, mind you. In a big tournament like T20 World Cup we cannot afford to lose two games due to rain on the same day. Disappointing!!

Originally posted by: Viswasruti

Hamza: Why do you want to have the same venue for multiple games in a day? Australia have so many grounds, mind you. In a big tournament like T20 World Cup we cannot afford to lose two games due to rain on the same day. Disappointing!!

Is it buy one get one free by any chance?

Cheers..

With no toss in sight, we're approaching the time where the match will begin to lose overs.

Ambala Venkatesh Reddy: Can't forget the Stoinis Thunderstorm innings against Sri Lanka to improve their Net Runrate.

19:27 Local Time, 08:27 GMT, 13:57 IST: Live visuals show that the covers are still on and Rashid Khan is busy signing autographs as a few Afghan fans have turned up at the "G". Pretty soon we will start to lose overs. We will confirm the exact time even as there are dark clouds hanging overhead over the G.

19:51 Local Time, 08:51 GMT, 14:21 IST: Our man Ganesh Chandrasekaran at the "G" pings this: "Pitch inspection set to happen at 8pm local time, about fifteen mins from now."

We're now officially losing overs. Covers have come off. An inspection is due at 8.20 pm.

Updated:

I should not have put that comment. It is the Melbourne weather we are talking about. It is very unpredictable.

Cheers..

Originally posted by: la_Reine

Go Afghanistan🥳

Cheers..

Match abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain (no toss)

Ireland recorded a well-deserved win against England earlier, and Afghanistan would have hoped for something similar against New Zealand, but not to be. Disappointing for both sides, and more so for New Zealand especially after their thumping win against Australia. That, then, is a wrap for today.