Australia through to Champions Trophy semi-finals

ICC Champions Trophy Group B, Lahore

Afghanistan 273 (50 overs): Sediqullah 85 (95), Azmatullah 67 (63); Dwarshuis 3-47

Australia 109-1 (12.5 overs): Head 59* (40); Azmatullah 1-43

Match abandoned because of rain

Scorecard; Tables

Australia qualified for the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy at the expense of Afghanistan as their match in Lahore was abandoned following heavy rain.

Sediqullah Atal's composed 85 helped Afghanistan post a competitive, if not especially threatening, total of 273 on another batter-friendly surface at the Gaddafi Stadium.

His 95-ball innings included three sixes and six fours, while Azmatullah Omarzai contributed a brisk 67 off 63 balls, hammering five sixes.

Ben Dwarshuis finished as the pick of Australia's bowlers with 3-47, while fellow left-arm seamer Spencer Johnson and leg-spinner Adam Zampa picked up two wickets each.

Perhaps with an eye on the weather forecast, and any possible revised total under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, Australia began the chase with real intent.

Opener Travis Head rode his luck and punished Rashid Khan's drop off Fazalhaq Farooqi at the start of the fourth over, when he was on six, by whipping the Afghanistan quick over the ropes for a maximum the next ball.

Head raced to 59 in 40 balls and, with 165 runs needed from 37.1 overs, he and Steve Smith looked well set for Australia before a heavy downpour left pools of water on the outfield and conditions unplayable.

The result means Australia have four points and will go through as winners of Group B if England beat South Africa in Karachi on Saturday.

Afghanistan can mathematically still reach the semi-finals but it would require a huge victory by England to enable them to overhaul the Proteas' net run rate.

Should South Africa triumph - or if their game is washed out - they will progress as group winners and Australia will go through as runners-up.

Both semi-finals and the final have reserve days should they be affected by weather.

Shorn of a trio of injured frontline seamers, there were question marks over whether one of cricket's traditional tournament heavyweights would carry sufficient punch in the bowling department.

Replacing Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood - who boast a combined 308 ODI appearances and 525‬ wickets - appears on paper no easy feat for Australia.

Nathan Ellis, Johnson and Dwarshuis had a collective 17 ODI caps before this match, but despite not being household names they are grizzled operators.

Dwarshuis and Ellis are both 30, Johnson is 29, and all three showed short-format skills and nous garnered from the domestic franchise circuit.

On the back of scores of 351, 356, 325 and 317 at the Gaddafi Stadium in the Champions Trophy so far, none of the bowling trio looked remotely flustered when Afghanistan sailed to 91-2.

Johnson's menace at the start saw him remove the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck with a toe-crushing yorker before he later snared Sediqullah.

Dwarshuis, meanwhile, held his nerve well at the death as his excellent line drew false shots.

It is not that long ago that Johnson, who holds an Italian passport through his grandfather, was set to throw his lot into Italy's bid to make a T20 World Cup, while Dwarshuis was investigating his eligibility to represent the Netherlands.

Both of them - along with Ellis - now look to have a major role in Australia's attempt to win a third Champions Trophy title and their first since 2009.

There was a moment of Australian sportsmanship in the 47th over of Afghanistan's innings.

In echoes of the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow during the 2023 Ashes, Australia wicketkeeper Josh Inglis whipped off the bails when Noor Ahmad left his ground.

Noor had stepped out from the crease before the end of the over had been called following the completion of a single.

Standing umpire Kumar Dharmasena had just started to signal to the third umpire to review the incident, and another controversial dismissal looked to be on cards.

However, Australia captain Smith interjected and decided to withdraw the appeal for a run out.

Australia captain Steve Smith: "We tried to keep things simple, and tried to take wickets throughout the middle order. The guys did a good job to restrict them to 270.

"We could have had a few more wickets up top. It was a good performance and shame we got washed out at the end."

"The first objective was to get to the semi-finals."

Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi: "It's unfortunate. It was a good game and just because of the rain, nothing happens.

"We should've scored 300 plus but they bowled really well, especially in the middle overs. 270 was good on this wicket but we didn't start well when it came to bowling.

"We gave too much width for them and too many hitting options. Hopefully, we will learn from this."

England face South Africa in Karachi on Saturday, with the match due to start at 09:00 GMT.

The Proteas are already through to the semi-finals but will have one eye on progressing as winners of Group B.

England have little more than pride to play for after defeats to Australia and Afghanistan.