Pakistan beat Afghanistan in nail-biter, keep World Cup semi-final hopes alive.

LEEDS -- Pakistan kept their nerve to avoid a huge shock on Saturday, beating a spirited Afghan side by three wickets with just two balls to spare to keep their World Cup semi-final hopes alive. All-rounder Imad Wasim hit Afghanistan skipper Gulbadin Naib for a boundary through the covers to seal the win off the fourth ball of the last over, prompting a pitch invasion. Pakistan, chasing a modest 228-run target, were in grave danger at 156 for six but man-of the-match Imad (49 not out) and Shadab Khan (11) put on 50 for the seventh wicket to revive their hopes. The win lifts Pakistan into fourth place in the 10-team table, above hosts England after a poor start to the tournament. "When I went in they were bowling brilliantly but I just hung in there," said Imad. "We wanted to bat out the 50 overs and see. "Gulbadin (Naib) was the only one who could be targeted.

They have world-class spinners so we attacked him. Thank you to the crowd, it feels like home here. They gave us a boost in confidence. "Win our next game and...