England’s final assignment before a World Cup they have been preparing for four years was the softest of victories over Afghanistan at The Oval. The intensity was low and the outcome clear inside 20 overs, but England got the job done clinically for a nine-wicket win with a remarkable 195 balls spare.
Perhaps the best news of the day came before the game even began, when Mark Wood’s foot scan cleared him of any injury and he bowled a few balls on the outfield. He is fit to play on Thursday against South Africa. More surprisingly, Eoin Morgan and his broken finger were named in the team. His influence, however, extended only to inviting Afghanistan to bat at the toss, as he did not field then was not required to bat.
Indeed only Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root were required to bat and, after an opening stand of 77 in 44 balls, the only wicket England lost was rather by accident. Mohammad Nabi crept one through Bairstow’s defences and, as the batsman overbalanced, the ball deflected off stand-in keeper Rahmat Shah’s gloves and onto the stumps. A stumping, of sorts, but by then the damage was done.
Afghanistan are better than this, and will need to be on Saturday, when they open their campaign against Australia at Bristol. Their batting was witless and rash, summed up by their loss of four wickets in two harmless overs of spin from Moeen Ali and Joe Root in the middle of their innings, which left them 92 for eight. Two of those wickets were run outs – brilliant fielding from sub Liam Plunkett then Bairstow, sure, but idiotic running.
Even before those two overs they were in strife following some slogs that gave Jofra Archer two early wickets, and one each for Ben Stokes and Root – who would end with three for 22 from six. Only some fine hitting from Nabi with the tail hauled Afghanistan to 160. Nabi got after Moeen and Adil Rashid, but the same trick did not work when Archer returned. Bairstow made a tough catch at third man look simple, and Archer finished with three for 32. He is certain to play on Thursday.
England were 100 for one by the end of the powerplay. That allowed Root and Roy, on a used pitch, to casually get a look at Rashid Khan, one of the few outstanding bowlers in the competition they have not faced regularly. Roy experimented with ramps off Gulbadin Naib, and then launched an enormous six off Rashid. Both just looked grateful for the time at the crease, and they had the job done by 3pm. Roy had helped himself to 89 off 46 balls, and finished the job with an outrageous fifth six, hoicked to cow.
Victories will not come this simply in the World Cup and this, a game England would probably rather not have had to play (just like their defeat to Australia on Saturday), was little more than a glorified net. England got their early fitness boosts and their first look at Afghanistan for three years. You could call the win a statement, but that would suggest a degree of competition that simply was not there. Thursday cannot come soon enough.
