Afghanistan produced an all-round performance to win by 28 runs in their first match against Zimbabwe in the tri-nation T20I series in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Saturday.
Chasing 198 to win, Zimbabwe managed to score 169 losing seven wickets in their stipulated 20 overs.
Afghans, asked to bat first, were off to a flying start as their opening pair Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Hazratullah Zazai scored 49 runs in the first five overs.
Zazai was the first batsman to get out making 13.
In the next over, Gurbaz also departed after scoring a brisk 43 off just 24 deliveries with five fours and two sixes.
Afghanistan started off their campaign at the tri-nation T20I series today beating @ZimCricketv by 28 runs at Sher-e Bangla Stadium, Dhaka.
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 14, 2019
Read more?https://t.co/NrYNuiRCD4#AFGvZIM #TriSeries @Farhan_YusEfzai pic.twitter.com/y3kte4bZt4
Afghanistan lost three more wickets in the middle period and Zimbabwe put a lid on the run rate a little bit.
After 15 overs, the score was 109/ 4.
But in the last five overs, Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi showed excellent display of power-hitting, adding 88 more runs.
These two smashed seven consecutive sixes, four by Nabi and three by Zadran, from overs 16.3 to 17.3.
Zadran was unbeaten on 69 off just 30 deliveries with five fours and half a dozen sixes while Nabi got out in the last ball of the innings, scoring 38 off 18 deliveries with four sixes.
These two put on 107 for the sixth wicket off just 40 deliveries to take the total to 197/5 in 20 overs.
In reply, Zimbabwe captain Hamilton Masakadza departed in just the third over and the experienced Brendan Taylor lost his wicket in the next over, scoring a brisk 27.
From then, Zimbabwe lost a few key wickets and failed to score quickly enough to match the asking rate.
Host Bangladesh will face Afghanistan in their second match of the tri-nation T20I series in Mirpur’s Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Sunday.https://t.co/W6vjKDtW3D
— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) September 14, 2019
Regis Chakabva scored a quickfire 42 in the end off just 22 deliveries with three boundaries and two sixes but that effort was not enough.
Rashid Khan and Farid Malik took two wickets for Afghanistan conceding 29 and 35 runs respectively.
Zadran was adjudged man of the match for his brilliant batting.
Afghanistan will play their next match against host Bangladesh Sunday at the same venue.
2ND T20I
AFGHANISTAN INNINGS R B
Rahmanullah lbw b Williams 43 24
Hazratullah c Williams b Chatara 13 14
Najeeb c Ndlovu b Williams 14 19
Asghar c Burl b Ndlovu 14 16
Najibullah not out 69 30
Nabi c Burl b Chatara 38 18
Extras (b 2, nb 1, w 3) 6
Total (20 Overs) 197/5
Fall Of Wickets
1-57 (Hazratullah), 2-60 (Rahmanullah), 3-80 (Najeeb), 4-90 (Asghar), 5-197 (Nabi)
Bowling
Ndlovu 4-0-35-1, Jarvis 4-0-53-0, Chatara 4-0-53-2, Williams 4-0-16-2, Burl 1-0-4-0, Madziva 3-0-34-0
ZIMBABWE INNINGS R B
Taylor † c Hazratullah b Fareed 27 16
Masakadza (c) run out (†Rahmanullah) 3 6
Ervine lbw b Karim 10 10
Williams c †Rahmanullah b Fareed 0 2
Mutombodzi c Najeeb b Rashid 20 21
Burl b Rashid 25 25
Chakabva not out 42 22
Madziva c Nabi b Naib 15 11
Jarvis not out 15 9
Extras (b 1, lb 5, nb 2, w 4) 12
Total (20 overs) 169/7
Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Masakadza), 2-30 (Taylor), 3-30 (Williams), 4-44 (Ervine), 5-81 (Mutombodzi), 6-96 (Burl), 7-141 (Madziva)
Bowling
Mujeeb 3-0-29-0, Fareed 4-0-35-2, Karim 3-0-29-1, Nabi-2-0-9-0, Naib 4-0-32-1, Rashid 4-0-29-2
Result: Afghanistan won by 28 runs
MoM: Najibullah Zadran
