England secured a dramatic 4-wicket victory over Afghanistan in the opening match of the Afghanistan Tour of England at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground on December 21, 2025. The hosts chased down Afghanistan's total of 114/8 with just one over to spare in this high-scoring 10-over contest.

Afghanistan's Innings: Explosive Start, Late Collapse

Afghanistan posted a competitive 114/8 in their allotted 10 overs, with the innings featuring both explosive batting and crucial collapses. Ibrahim Zadran top-scored with a blistering 43 off 20 balls (strike rate: 215), while Rahmanullah Gurbaz contributed 23 off 13 balls. Najibullah Zadran provided late fireworks with a quickfire 31 off just 8 balls at an astonishing strike rate of 387.5.

However, Afghanistan's innings was punctuated by regular wickets. They lost their first wicket without scoring when Hazratullah Zazai was run out for a golden duck. The middle and lower order collapsed dramatically, losing their last five wickets for just 13 runs between overs 8 and 10.

Chris Woakes was the star with the ball, claiming 3/22 in his 2 overs to earn the Man of the Match award. Ben Stokes supported well with 2/27, while Shoaib Bashir chipped in with 1/12.

England's Chase: Buttler Anchors Victory

Chasing 115, England got off to a flying start with Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow putting on 46 runs before Bairstow fell for 20 off 8 balls. The chase hit turbulence in the middle overs as Rashid Khan spun his magic, claiming 3/19 including the crucial wickets of Ollie Pope, Moeen Ali, and Ben Stokes in quick succession.

England slumped from 67/2 to 92/6, leaving the match delicately poised. However, Jos Buttler held firm at one end, remaining unbeaten on 46 off 19 balls (strike rate: 242.11), while Chris Woakes provided the perfect support with an unbeaten 20 off 10 balls.

The pair added an unbroken 29-run partnership for the seventh wicket to guide England home with 6 balls remaining, completing a memorable victory in what turned out to be a nail-biting finish at the home of cricket.