The Latest: Sri Lanka gets 201, Afghanistan needs 187 to win

By Associated Press 05 June 2019, 12:00AM

LONDON (AP) — The Latest on Day 6 at the Cricket World Cup (all times local):

4:20 p.m.

Sri Lanka has been dismissed for 201 in its rain-affected Cricket World Cup match against Afghanistan.

Resuming after a rain delay of nearly three hours with Sri Lanka on 182-8, Afghanistan needed just 23 balls to take the final two wickets of the innings. Lasith Malinga was bowled off a slower ball by Dawlat Zadran for 4, and Nuwan Pradeep was also bowled by Rashid Khan for 0.

Afghanistan's victory target is 187, a revised figure using the Duckworth-Lewis method.

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4 p.m.

Play has resumed in the Cricket World Cup match between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, which has been reduced to 41 overs per side. There will be a 10-minute inning break.

Sri Lanka was 182-2 off 33 overs, after a dramatic collapse from 144-1, when rain stopped play for three hours.

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3:35 p.m.

Australia coach Justin Langer is set to name an unchanged lineup for the Cricket World Cup match against West Indies as his team looks to get over its "brutal" last visit to Trent Bridge.

The five-time world champions beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in their first game of the tournament and Langer says, "We're going with the same team" on Thursday.

They will face a different test compared to an Afghan team containing many spin options, with the Windies' all-pace attack having bounced out Pakistan for 105 in their opener.

Langer says Australia's focus has been "almost solely on playing spin bowling" after recent series against India at home and Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, so "we have to adapt to West Indies no doubt."

When the Australians last played at Trent Bridge, they were on the receiving end of a world-record total of 481 by England last year.

Langer says, "I remember walking down to the gate at the end almost wanting to give all the boys a hug because it was brutal."

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2 p.m.

India captain Virat Kohli says he hasn't heard any criticism directed at him by South Africa paceman Kagiso Rabada, and he wouldn't use a news conference as a forum to air it anyway.

On the eve of India's tournament-opening match against South Africa, Kohli was asked about comments reportedly from Rabada that described him as immature.

"What did he say?" Kohli asked. When given the general sentiment, Kohli responded by saying: "I've played against him so many times. If anything needs to be discussed, we can discuss it man to man."

They'll get the chance on Wednesday when Kohli leads No. 2-ranked India and Rabada leads an injury-depleted South Africa bowling attack in Southampton.

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1:10 p.m.

Sri Lanka slumped from 144-1 to 182-8 in a dramatic collapse against Afghanistan before rain stopped play in their Cricket World Cup match in Cardiff.

Suranga Lakmal (2) and Lasith Malinga (0) were in the middle and hoping to edge the Sri Lankans past 200, which seemed a shoo-in when their openers cruised to 79-0 after 10 overs — the highest score at that stage so far this tournament.

Afghanistan took five wickets in 27 balls — with Mohammad Nabi taking three of them in a five-ball span in the same over — as Sri Lanka slumped from 144-1 to 159-6.

Opener Kusal Perera departed for 78 when gloving a reverse sweep behind off allrounder Rashid Khan, leaving Sri Lanka 180-8, before the rain came.

Extras were the second top scorer with 33.

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12 p.m.

South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn is out of the Cricket World Cup because of a shoulder he injured in April that never came right.

Steyn came to the World Cup only 60% fit, and didn't play.

He was replaced in the injury-hit squad by left-armer Beuran Hendricks.

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10:15 a.m.

Afghanistan has won the toss and chosen to bowl first against Sri Lanka under cloudy skies at Sophia Gardens as both teams go for their first win at the Cricket World Cup.

Sri Lanka brought in paceman Nuwan Pradeep for Jeevan Mendis in the only change from the 10-wicket loss to New Zealand at the same Welsh venue on Saturday.

The Afghans were unchanged from their seven-wicket loss to Australia.

The Sri Lankans have never won a cricket match in any format in six attempts in Cardiff, and managed only 136 all out batting first against New Zealand.

They were eliminated from the Asia Cup by Afghanistan last year.

Lineups:

Afghanistan: Mohammad Shahzad, Hazrat Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib (captain), Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Mujeeb ur Rahmanm, Hamid Hassan.

Sri Lanka: Dimuth Karunaratne (captain), Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lasith Malinga.

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9:05 a.m.

England players Jason Roy and Jofra Archer have been fined and given demerit points for misconduct during the loss to Pakistan.

Roy was heard by umpires using an obscenity after a misfield during Monday's match. Archer showed dissent at an umpire's decision after bowling a wide.

The International Cricket Council on Tuesday said both players were fined 15% of their match fee, while one demerit point was added to their records.

The ICC also said Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed was fined 20% of his match fee and his teammates 10% each of theirs following a minor over-rate breach in the 14-run win at Trent Bridge.

All three players admitted to their breaches so no formal hearings were required.

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9 a.m.

It's a clash of the underdogs at the Cricket World Cup on Tuesday when Afghanistan takes on Sri Lanka in Cardiff.

Both teams are big outsiders to reach the semifinals and started the tournament with losses, Afghanistan to five-time champion Australia and Sri Lanka at the hands of New Zealand.

Sri Lankan cricket is in something of a mess on and off the field, with a number of players and officials — including 1996 World Cup winner Sanath Jayasuriya — having been charged with not co-operating with anti-corruption investigators.

The team lost all but one of 14 one-day internationals leading up to a win over Scotland ahead of the World Cup, and was then trounced by New Zealand in a 10-wicket loss on Saturday.

The Afghanistan squad will see this match as an ideal opportunity to add a second World Cup win to its landmark, one-wicket victory over Scotland in 2015.

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More AP cricket: www.apnews.com/cricket and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

By Associated Press 05 June 2019, 12:00AM

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