England will aim to put the disappointment of a semi-final exit 12 months ago behind them as they open their T20 World Cup campaign against the dangerous Afghanistan.
Zero Wicket will cover the game live from 10pm (AEDT) on Saturday, October 22, with it to be held at the Perth Stadium in Western Australia.
Afghanistan were one of the eight direct qualifiers for the Super 12 stage, and have fast become a danger in the shortest form of the game, although how they handle bouncy Australian pitches remains to be seen.
England, on the other hand, come into the tournament having most recently played a three-match series against Austrlaia, which they won 2-0, including racking up 208 runs in Perth.
Refresh the page for live score and commentary updates from 10pm (AEDT).
Match summary
Afghanistan 10/112 (19.4 overs), England 5/113 (18.1 overs)
Scoreboard
Toss: England won the toss and elected to field
England batting
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | |
| Jos Buttler | C Mujeeb, B Farooqi | 18 | 18 | 3 | 0 |
| Alex Hales | C Farooqi, B Fareed | 19 | 20 | 0 | 1 |
| Dawid Malan | C Nabi, B Mujeeb | 18 | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| Ben Stokes | Not out | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Liam Livingstone | Not out | 29 | 21 | 3 | 0 |
| Harry Brook | C Zadran, B Khan | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Moeen Ali | Not out | 8 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Sundries: Wides 12, No balls 0, Byes 0, Leg byes 0
Total: 5/113 (18.1)
Afghanistan bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Wickets | Runs |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | 4 | 0 | 1 | 24 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | 1.1 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 4 | 0 | 1 | 22 |
| Rashid Khan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Fareed Ahmed | 2 | 0 | 1 | 23 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 3 | 0 | 1 | 16 |
Afghanistan batting
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | |
| Hazratullah Zazai | C Livingstone, B Stokes | 7 | 17 | 1 | 0 |
| Ramanullah Gurbaz | C Buttler, B Wood | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 |
| Ibrahim Zadran | C Ali, B Curran | 32 | 32 | 3 | 1 |
| Usman Ghani | C Livinstone, B Curran | 30 | 30 | 3 | 0 |
| Najib Zadran | C Rashid, B Stokes | 13 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| Mohammad Nabi | C Buttler, B Wood | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Azmatullah Omarzai | C Stokes, B Curran | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Rashid Khan | C Hales, B Curran | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mujeeb Ur Rahman | C&B Woakes | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fareed Ahmad | Not out | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | C Malan, B Curran | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Sundries: Wides 3, No balls 0, Byes 0, Leg byes 4
Total: 10/112 (19.4 overs)
England bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Wickets | Runs |
| Ben Stokes | 4 | 0 | 2 | 19 |
| Chris Woakes | 4 | 0 | 1 | 21 |
| Mark Wood | 4 | 0 | 2 | 23 |
| Sam Curran | 3.4 | 0 | 5 | 10 |
| Adil Rashid | 4 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
Updates
1:10am (AEDT)
England dominant here then. Sam Curran took five-for, but it was an all-round effort with the ball in hand, before the batsmen did their job in picking up the victory, with Liam Livingstone leading the way.
Thanks for joining us on Zero Wicket today, and be sure to tune in again tomorrow with live coverage of India and Pakistan.
1:08am (AEDT)
Azmatullah back to bowl what should be the final over of the game then. He goes short and Livingstone pulls, but can only get one for his effort. Scores tied, and a bouncer that is called a wide will end the contest.
England with a comprehensive win where they never really got out of first gear.
1:06am (AEDT)
Nabi back to bowl again, and England just working their way towards this total. A trio of doubles in that over for Ali, and England need just 2 from the final 2 overs.
1:04am (AEDT)
Farooqi back for his last over then. A couple of singles to start and a couple more to end, with Livingstone and Ali just working towards this total.
12:59am (AEDT)
Moeen Ali the new man then with four balls left in this Rashid over, and he and Livingstone able to just knock it around for a few singles to see of Rashid who ends with 1/17 from his 4.
13 off 24 needed.
12:57am (AEDT)
Rashid Khan back into the attack for his final over. Brook grabs two from the first, then hits to long on and Zadran is there to complete the catch.
12:55am (AEDT)
Livingstone starting to get going now. A pair of boundaries to start this over from Fareed, then he runs it to third man for one. England just 22 runs away and Brook isn't going to hang around either with five off the last three balls of this over.
England well ahead now, needing 18 from 5 overs.
12:49am (AEDT)
Mujeeb into the attack here for his final over. Livingstone flicks the first to the fine leg fence as it slides down the leg side.
Big shout for LBW the very next ball, and it's turned down, but Afghanistan will take it up stairs for a review. Ball missing the leg stump though so Livingstone survives.
Malan doesn't though as he hits the next one straight to Nabi. Harry Brook is the new man.
12:43am (AEDT)
Afghanistan out to take this game deep now. England have let the required run rate remain above five here without a great deal of intent, although they are still well on top. Through the motions again here as Nabi completes this over.
12:40am (AEDT)
Rashid Khan really trying to lock England up during the middle overs of this innings. Three singles to start, and another two to end the other over on either side of a dot ball.
12:37am (AEDT)
Livingstone the new man in then for England, and just a single to end the over.
12:35am (AEDT)
Well, Nabi has a wicket! Couple of singles to start this over, then it's Stokes down the track and playing all around an arm ball. Straight through and Stokes will depart as he loses his stumps.
12:33am (AEDT)
Mohammad Nabi into the attack now for Afghanistan.
12:29am (AEDT)
England certainly not in any great rush here. Just a couple from this Rashid Khan over, as tricky as he is to read. Actively starting to impact England's potential net run rate now.
12:26am (AEDT)
So, Ben Stokes the new man for England. He gets straight up the other end, then Fareed bowls a bouncer that bolts away for five wides. Malan turns the last around the corner for an easy single.
12:23am (AEDT)
Fareed Amhed now into the attack for Afghanistan. Again, England just not playing with any real intent here, and now Hales just lumps one into the outfield. He is out caught at square leg.
12:19am (AEDT)
Just going through the motions again there from England. 6 from that Mujeeb over without a real risk.
12:16pm (AEDT)
England really should be going a lot harder here. Just plodding towards this total, and net run rate could be so crucial at the back end of this tournament.
Anyway, Rashid Khan with a good first over.
12:08pm (AEDT)
And Afghanistan finally have one! Hales looks to go big, gets up the other end and then Buttler flicks a full swinging one to backward square leg where Mujeeb Ur Rahman takes a difficult catch in the deep.
12:07am (AEDT)
Farooqi again, and Afghanistan costing themselves in the sundries department here as the fifth wide of the innings is sent down, before Hales drills one to point and it's put down...
And Hales makes them pay as he now gets going with a big six over wide long on as the ball is overpitched.
12:03am (AEDT)
England just continuing to push on with this chase here with Mujeeb introduced into the attack for the fourth over.
No risk cricket for the most part, although Buttler does loft one over the covers, then he flicks one behind square and the runs flowing a little more freely just there.
Last ball is drilled to mid wicket, but no run.
11:55pm (AEDT)
Omarzai with a solid end to his first over after the boundary. Just a wide and a couple of singles, but Afghanistan need wickets in a hurry if they are a chance here.
11:52pm (AEDT)
No spin up front then for Afghanistan, with Azmatullah Omarzai opening from the other end.
He starts with a wide at Hales, then the next is full and punched to mid off for one. The next is overpitched and hit off the middle through extra cover by Buttler for a boundary. Lovely shot.
11:49pm (AEDT)
England will be very keen to get this chase over and done with for multiple reasons. Net Run Rate a big one, but recovery won't be far from the mind either given they will be on a long flight to Melbourne tomorrow ahead of their game with Ireland on Wednesday, followed by another with Australia on Friday.
Buttler works the second ball of this first over away through square leg for a boundary to get the scoreboard ticking. A wide follows that up.
Couple of dots after to end the over, so five from the first.
11:45pm (AEDT)
Teams are back for the run chase. Jos Buttler and Alex Hales to open up for England. Fazalhaq Farooqi has the new ball.
11:34pm (AEDT)
So then, Curran with five, and Afghanistan well short of a good score.
Stick around, and we will be back in 15 minutes or so for the chase.
11:33pm (AEDT)
Curran misses the hat-trick ball, but gets two wickets in the next four balls.
Curan will end up with 5 for 10, and he is the first English men's cricketer to take a 5-for in a T20 International match.
Afghanistan all out for 112.
11:30pm (AEDT)
One-way traffic here. Fareed swings and misses at two, then connects on a slice to backward point, with Hales unable to hold onto a diving catch.
One to go now with Ghani swinging and missing at the last one.
Curran to bowl it, and on a hat-trick.
11:26pm (AEDT)
And another one! Ghani grabs a single from the first, but then Mujeeb backs away and hits the ball straight back to Woakes who grabs the catch in his follow through.
Afghanistan have lost 3/1 off the last 4 balls.
11:25pm (AEDT)
Rashid Khan the new man, and he tees off ball one to a short ball, but straight down the throat of the man at fine leg. Golden duck.
11:23pm (AEDT)
England are one over down at the moment, so could end up with only four on the fence in the closing stages unless they can step it up.
Curran with an LBW shout on the first here, and then a review, but pitching outside leg.
A couple of singles, then Azmat sends a short ball out to Stokes at mid wicket with a simple catch completed.
11:19pm (AEDT)
Rashid shying away from bowling full with the short straight boundary, and for the most part it's working nicely.
Three singles and a leg bye from the first four, then one that is too short with Ghani putting it away to fine leg for a boundary.
Over finishes with a wrong'un. A beautiful one at that, and another leg bye with the LBW shout turned down.
11:16pm (AEDT)
Azmatullah Omarzai the new man for England. Wood with three balls left in his spell and the first is punched down the ground off the middle by the new man for a boundary. Just leant on that. Beautiful cricket shot.
Couple of singles to end the over and Afghanistan right around six per over.
Wood finishes with 2 for 23 from 4.
11:12pm (AEDT)
Some of the catches in both games tonight have been simply phenomenal. Wood with a shorter one here and Nabi looks to flick it around the corner, gets some glove and Buttler at full stretch to his left takes a miraculous snare.
11:10pm (AEDT)
Nabi the new man then for Afghanistan, and the captain has a lot of work to do here. Defends the first, up the other end on the second and limiting dot balls will be critical here... Something Afghanistan haven't been able to do against Stokes though who is approaching the end of his spell.
The very next ball though is short, and Ghani pulls it over the fielders in the deep for a boundary. England's fielders were well in off the boundary there so the ball ends up over their head.
And the last is a hook shot, but fall short and the fielders cut that to 2. Stokes ends with 2 for 19 from his 4.
11:06pm (AEDT)
Oh yes! What a catch. Najib clears the front leg to a full one from Stokes and goes downtown. Skies it, and Rashid runs backwards to take a staggeringly good catch over his shoulder.
11:05pm (AEDT)
Mark Wood back into the attack, and very sloppy in the field from England as they give up an overthrow on the second ball of this over.
Great over from Wood though. Just two singles from the rest including a dot off a vicious bouncer on the last.
Six overs to go, and Ben Stokes back for his last.
11:00pm (AEDT)
Well that's a change of intent from Afghanistan. Rashid tosses it up, and Najib cracks it down the ground on the up for a six. Huge shot into the sightscreen.
He then chops a shorter one away to cover and great running seems them get back for two. Grabs another two from the last two so a good over in the end there for Aghanistan with 13 from it.
10:58pm (AEDT)
Rashid to continue with his third over then, and he is bowling quite flat, and quite fast. Very difficult to get away, and it's showing. Just three singles in the first half of the over.
10:55pm (AEDT)
Afghanistan really struggling to get things moving in the right direction here with Curran completing his over very strongly.
10:51pm (AEDT)
Gone! England get rid of Zadran, who has been holding this innings together. Curran with a good length ball, and Zadran played it out in front of his body, ultimately chipping it to point where Ali completes the catch running backwards.
10:50pm (AEDT)
Back underway after drinks then, and it's Adil Rashid to continue for England. Three singles to start, then a drag down hit away through mid wicket for two.
Just a pair of singles to end the over, but better for Afghanistan with seven from it.
10:45pm (AEDT)
Stokes doing an excellent job varying his pace here, and Afghanistan's batsmen all at sea for now. Two dots, but then a bouncer goes over as a wide.
Slower ball again from Stokes on the next, but misses his length and Zadran cracks a boundary through the covers.
Over plays out with some 1s and 2s, and we will be off to drinks with Afghanistan short of six runs per over.
10:42pm (AEDT)
Ben Stokes swaps ends and is back for his third over here. Looks like he is going to bowl four overs tonight, so no overs for Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone.
10:40pm (AEDT)
Time for a bit of spin then with Adil Rashid into the attack. Hard to get away early too before a short wide one is hit away through the covers for a couple by Ghani.
Just the four from it.
10:37pm (AEDT)
Sam Curran into the attack for the first time now for England. Starts with a couple of dots, then Zadran manages to open the face on a short one for a single to third man.
Ghani ducks under a bouncer, then flicks a length ball around the corner for a boundary. Poor line from Curran as he strays onto the leg stump. Dot to finish
England right on top here.
10:33pm (AEDT)
Usman Ghani the new man for Afghanistan, and he manages to get up the other end straight away with a single.
Zadran plays the over out with a single to fine leg off the last.
10:30pm (AEDT)
Stokes back into the attack after the powerplay, and Zazai really struggling here. Swinging and missing at the first two of this over, before he slices one away behind point... Safe? No! Incredible catch! Liam Livingstone! He comes flying out of nowhere and pulls off a stunning diving catch.
10:27pm (AEDT)
So then, the powerplay comes to an end with England on top, although only having one wicket to their credit. Wood and Woakes bowl it out pretty solidly though, and Afghanistan do have something of a platform.
This ground saw a T20 with both sides (Australia and England) scoring 200 just last week though, so Afghanistan probably a little slow away thus far.
10:19pm (AEDT)
England right on top early here. Only five from this Woakes over, with a boundary from Hazrat at the end with a poor ball from Woakes saving the over from being a disaster for the Afghanistan side.
10:15pm (AEDT)
An immediate test here for the new man Ibrahim Zadran. Squares up to the first from Wood as he sends it past the outside edge on the fourth stump line, then a short one evades an attempted hook shot.
Zadran off the mark next ball with a low full toss punched away to the cover boundary.
Couple of dots to end it.
10:11pm (AEDT)
And there is the breakthrough for England! Mark Wood takes up the ball after the opening over from Stokes, goes on a good length targeting that off stumps, and Gurbaz squares up, edging through to Buttler behind.
10:10pm (AEDT)
Chris Woakes from the other end then with the new ball. Good start, then Gurbaz squares up, getting an edge that'll bring two runs down to third man.
The next ball is a staggering shot from Gurbaz. Across the stumps, down on one knee and he flicks a straight one from Woakes over the fine leg fence. Incredible.
Good finish from Woakes though. Just a single and a couple of dots.
10:05pm (AEDT)
Gurbaz on strike then. Defends a couple to start, then walks down the track looking to hit Stokes with a flat bat down the ground, but swing and miss. Onto the leg stump at the end of the over and flicked around the corner for one.
Nice tight start from Stokes.
10:02pm (AEDT)
Away we go in Perth! Stokes with a bit of swing immediately, back into the pads of Zazai who plays and misses, the ball popping off his pads.
The next drifts onto the leg side and is turned around the corner for a single.
10:00pm (AEDT)
Right then, here we go. Zazai and Gurbaz out there for Afghanistan, and it's Ben Stokes who has the new ball.
9:53pm (AEDT)
Teams are on their way out in Perth for the national anthems.
9:40pm (AEDT)
Here are the teams.
England: 1 Jos Buttler (capt & wk), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran, 9 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood
Afghanistan: 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Ibrahim Zadran, 4 Usman Ghani, 5 Najibullah Zadran, 6 Mohammad Nabi (capt), 7 Azmatullah Omarzai, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 10 Fareed Ahmed, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi
9:35pm (AEDT)
England have won the toss and elected to bowl here in Perth.
9:20pm (AEDT)
Hello and welcome to Zero Wicket's live coverage of the T20 World Cup, with the opening day of the Super 12 continuing in Perth between England and Afghanistan.
An important match for both sides this one, and if Afghanistan can handle the conditions, then one that could certainly go either way.
We will have the results of the toss and final teams in about 10 minutes time.
