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England were dumped retired of the Champions Trophy by a nerve-shredding eight-run decision by Afghanistan successful Lahore.
Joe Root threatened to rescue his broadside from the brink, hitting a superb 120 arsenic others fell astir him successful pursuit of 326.
But, battling cramp by the end, Root was caught with 39 runs needed from 26 balls arsenic Afghanistan, who would person besides been retired with defeat, came roaring back.
England should inactive person won – they needed 17 from 14 balls with 3 wickets near – but they fell distant aft Jamie Overton deed to long-on for 32.
Jofra Archer followed for 14 successful the penultimate over, leaving last brace Adil Rashid and Mark Wood 13 to get from the last.
They managed lone singles from the archetypal 4 balls and Rashid was caught astatine long-off disconnected the penultimate transportation arsenic England were dismissed for 317.
That they got truthful adjacent masked a wretched bowling show successful which they mislaid each power arsenic Ibrahim Zadran took Afghanistan to 325-7 with a sensational 177 from 146 balls.
Battling to flooded an wounded to Wood, England had their opponents 37-3 successful the ninth implicit but conceded 108 successful the last 9 which yet decided the contest.
Defeat means England are eliminated astatine the earliest accidental - their destiny decided earlier the last radical lucifer against South Africa successful Karachi connected Saturday.
After the last drawback was taken, the thousands of Afghanistan fans wrong the stadium successful Lahore were dancing successful the aisles.
Australia showed 4 nights agone England's people was chaseable by knocking disconnected 352 against them connected this ground.
But this galore runs for this squad nether this unit ever felt excessively overmuch and truthful it proved. That they got truthful adjacent volition lone adhd to the pain.
With assistance from the remainder of the apical bid scarce, Root took the lucifer onto his shoulders and had swung it backmost successful his team's favour until helium gloved an precocious chopped disconnected seamer Azmatullah Omarzai.
England utilized to beryllium the modular of the white-ball satellite and would person inactive closed retired the lucifer successful caller times. Any aura built nether Eoin Morgan has drained distant implicit a miserable 18-month period, however.
Captain Jos Buttler admitted connected Tuesday his aboriginal arsenic skipper could beryllium decided by the effect and decision leaves him nether immense unit – this his 3rd mediocre white-ball tourney successful a enactment aft failed defences of the 2023 50-over World Cup and the T20 mentation successful 2024.
Brendon McCullum has been incapable to alteration England's fortunes since taking implicit arsenic manager successful January but volition beryllium fixed clip to effort to crook the vessel around.
Buttler's aboriginal is acold little certain.
The menace was expected to travel from Afghanistan's spinners – arsenic it did erstwhile they spun their broadside to triumph implicit England successful Delhi astatine the World Cup 16 months ago.
Instead, it was seamer Azmatullah who finished with figures of 5-58.
He started England's disappointing descent by bowling Phil Salt with a bail-trimmer for 12 earlier Jamie Smith tried to slog the archetypal shot of rotation successful the innings, bowled by Mohammad Nabi, and was caught for nine.
That brought successful Root, who was superb. He constricted risks and repeatedly knocked the shot into the limb broadside to antagonistic rotation arsenic Harry Brook was caught and bowled by Nabi for 25, Buttler top-edged to heavy quadrate limb and Liam Livingstone sliced a chopped connected 10.
A further 93 runs were needed from 68 balls erstwhile Overton arrived and helium proved a utile companion to Root.
Root showed small emotion erstwhile reaching his period successful 98 deliveries but was visibly frustrated erstwhile helium was caught.
Calmer heads could person seen England location but that is not England's way. Both Overton and Archer were caught attempting to wide the ropes to seal England's defeat.
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