England end with Afghan stroll

England's miserable World Cup ended with a comfortable nine-wicket win over Afghanistan in a rain-marred Pool A clash at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.
Chasing a revised target of 101 to win in 25 overs under the Duckworth/Lewis method following three rain delays, England finished on 101 for one in 18.1 overs.
Ian Bell was 52 not out, off 56 balls, after putting on 83 for the first wicket with Alex Hales, who made 37 after being dropped on nought and 12.
Afghanistan, after losing the toss, earlier made 111 for seven in 36.2 overs before their innings was ruled to be closed because of rain.
Both sides came into this first one-day international between England and Afghanistan unable to qualify for the quarterfinals and having just one previous Pool A win apiece after they each beat Scotland.
This was the first time in the tournament's 40-year history where England had failed both to beat a Test nation and get through to the second round.
In 1996, England defeated two non-Test sides in the UAE and the Netherlands before losing to Sri Lanka in the quarterfinals.
Hopes they might finish with a win over World Cup debutants Afghanistan, after their last-eight ambitions crumbled in Monday's 15-run defeat by Bangladesh in Adelaide, were high as the non-Test side collapsed after losing the toss.
No Afghanistan batsman made more than the recalled Shafiqullah Shafiq's 30.
First change Chris Jordan led England's attack with two for 13 in 6.2 overs while all-rounder Ravi Bopara, playing his first match of the tournament after an injury to Chris Woakes, took two for 31 in eight overs.
After Morgan won the toss, Afghanistan found runs hard to come by in overcast conditions.
Openers Nawroz Mangal (four) and Javed Ahmadi (seven) both fell cheaply to slip catches by Joe Root off the bowling of James Anderson and Stuart Broad respectively.
Shortly after an initial rain delay, Afsar Zazai was caught behind off Jordan for six.