Cricket World Cup: Afghanistan keep semi-final hopes alive after seeing off Sri Lanka

Afghanistan kept their hopes of a top-four finish in the Cricket World Cup very much alive with a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Pune.

Left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi took four for 34 as Sri Lanka were all out for 241 in 49.3 overs, with no batter reaching a half-century, and Afghanistan reeled in their target with 28 balls to spare.

Fifties from Rahmat Shah (62), Hashmatullah Shahidi (58 not out) and Azmatullah Omarzai (73no) sealed a third win of the tournament from six matches for Afghanistan, who leapfrogged Sri Lanka into fifth place in the table.

Afghanistan had already beaten England and Pakistan earlier in the global tournament with matches against Netherlands, Australia and South Africa still to come.

Sri Lanka's hopes of finishing in a play-off position nose-dived with defeat with the 1996 winners having only won two of their six encounters.

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