Champions Trophy - Afghanistan v Australia Report Card

Featuring fireworks factories

Fireworks Factories
Grade: D

For the first time since the 2023 World Cup, traditional rivals Australia and Afghanistan were facing off in an ODI, with the winner going through to the semi-finals. Annoyingly, Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat, which meant that sensible Australian viewers back home would need to set an alarm if they wanted to watch preposterous Glenn Maxwell batting heroics this time around.

Sure, there was some fun stuff in the first innings while we all impatiently waited for the fireworks factory. Mohammad Nabi was run out off a wide. Australia burnt a review on a caught behind appeal so obviously misguided that it didn’t even warrant firing up the ol’ UltraEdge. Steve Smith withdrew an appeal for a run out. Lots of solid dabbling in the comically rich grey zone between ‘is the batter out or is he not and what, then, should we do about that?’.

Good material. But not legless Glenn Maxwell hitting a double century material. So we all set the alarm and headed to bed. Or, indeed, didn’t bother setting an alarm, since it is, after all, still just the Champions Trophy.

Here’s what happened while we slept, in limerick form.

Maxwellball is what we all sought
In a run chase both thrilling and fraught
But a rain-shortened match,
(And Matt Short-ened, natch)
Meant, alas, those dreams came to nought