Samiullah Shenwari led the way with 96 as Afghanistan claimed a maiden World Cup victory courtesy of a dramatic one-wicket win over Scotland at the University Oval in Dunedin.
Scotland, defeated by England in their last Pool A outing, appeared to be coasting to a first triumph when they reduced Afghanistan to 97 for seven after posting 210 all out, their highest total at a 50-over showpiece.
But Shenwari, dropped on 20, blasted seven fours and a quintet of maximums to give his side hope, holing out four runs short of a maiden one-day international ton with 19 still required.
Last-wicket pair Hamid Hassan and Shapoor Zadran survived several nervy moments, including a near run-out off what turned out to be the penultimate ball, as they snuck home with three deliveries remaining to spark wild celebrations.
Afghanistan’s decision to field reaped its rewards when Scotland slipped to 40 for three, Dawlat Zadran removing both Calum MacLeod and Kyle Coetzer either side of Hassan trapping Hamish Gardiner lbw.
Although Matt Machan and skipper Preston Mommsen added 53, Scotland collapsed to 144 for eight after losing five wickets for 51 runs.
They fought back to post over 200, though, with Majid Haq and Alasdair Evans, with 31 and 28 respectively, sharing a Scotland record ninth-wicket partnership of 62.
The duo both departed to Shapoor, who returned 4-38 from his full allocation, in the final over.
Afghanistan made a decent start to their reply when Javed Ahmadi and Nawroz Mangal put on 42 for the opening wicket.
But their early progress was hampered when Evans struck twice in the eighth over, bowling Mangal before finding the edge of Asghar Stanikzai.
Ahmadi and Shenwari calmed things down by taking the score to 85, although the former’s dismissal for 51 triggered a collapse that saw five wickets fall for just 12 runs.
From 97 for seven, Shenwari took Afghanistan to the brink with alliances of 35 and 60 with Dawlat and Hassan respectively.
Shenwari smashed three of his five sixes off Haq’s final over, the 47th, but was caught at deep midwicket attempting a fourth.
That set up a nervy finish that saw Hassan and Shapoor condemn Scotland to their 11th consecutive World Cup defeat, the latter hitting an Iain Wardlaw full-toss to the fine-leg rope the ball after Machan failed with a direct-hit.
Shenwari said: "It was a big pressure because we lost wickets early. I had the responsibility to stay in the wicket until the end. I did my job and I am very happy.
"It was a good win for us in the tournament, to get two points, and we are looking to win more to get into the Super Eights (quarter-finals)."
Scotland’s disappointment in defeat was later compounded when they were fined for a slow over-rate.