SPINNER Ryan Burl’s three wickets in one over went in vain as Afghanistan powered to a six-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the first match of the T20I series here yesterday.
Skipper Craig Ervine elected to bat after winning the toss on a batting track, and anything less than 200 would always be very difficult to defend.
Zimbabwe opener Innocent Kaia was the first to depart for a measly six runs on the first ball of the third over, with only 12 runs on the board for the hosts.
Kaia charged down the track looking to score big over the onside. Still, he got a leading edge off Fazalhaq Farooqi into the safe hands of Azmatullah Ormazai.
Ervine, in at number three, perished in a similar fashion as he tried to whack a short of a length delivery through the onside getting a leading edge straight into Nijat Masood, with the bowler completing a caught and bowled dismissal on the last ball of the sixth over.
The writing was on the wall for the Chevrons when opener and in-form batsman Wessley Madhevere was sent back to the pavilion after being clean bowled by master googley Rashid Khan for a 24-ball 32 runs after 8.1 overs to leave Zimbabwe stranded on 64/3.
Entertaining T20 cricketer Sikander Raza took the onslaught to the visitors’ bowlers with a whirlwind 31-ball 45 runs before succumbing to a well-taken reflex catch at third man by Hazratullah Zazai for Massod’s second wicket of the match.
Raza’s dismissal after 18.3 overs, five runs shy of a half-century, extinguished any hopes of Zimbabwe posting a big score as tailenders Ainsley Ndlovu and Tendai Chatara completed the remaining nine deliveries of the innings unbeaten on five and 10 runs, respectively.
Masood, the debutant, ended the innings as the pick of Afghanistan’s bowlers with three wickets for 39 runs in four overs. In contrast, Farooqi, Khan and Mohammad Nabi picked a wicket each.
With 159 runs on the board at the break, Zimbabwe knew they had a fighting chance, but they needed wickets upfront.
Zimbabwe bowlers bowled both sides of the wickets, only Chatara found the correct length. Still, the pressure was undone from the other end.
The dangerous Afghanistan opening pair of Hazratullah Zazai and wicketkeeper-batsman Gurbaz gave their team a brilliant start scoring 83 runs in 10 overs for the first wicket.
In the 11th over, Burl’s magical hand turned the game on its head with three wickets, much to the delight of the raucous Harare Sports Club.
The top three Afghanistan batsmen were back in the hut, and it was game on.
It was refreshing to see the Zimbabwe supporters singing in anticipation of victory.
This was the first time on this white ball leg that they had shown some character and fight worthy of the red jersey.
However, Afghanistan had other ideas. With the run rate slowly creeping up, it was left to Najibullah to show why he is rated so highly on the T20 circuit.
Najibullah knew that if he targeted Zimbabwe’s number one bowler, Blessing Muzarabani and succeeded, it would be curtains for the home team.
The Asian side’s batsman teed off in the 17th over, squatting the lanky fast bowler for a four-over mid-wicket and followed it up with a huge six-over mid-off.
He was not done yet; he pulled Muzarabani for another six off a no-ball. The big man was floored for 26 runs in that over.
Zimbabwe were on the canvas and never recovered after that.
Afghanistan once again showed what happens when winning has become a habit; you find ways to win.
They cruised by six wickets to another T20I victory over Zimbabwe.
The two teams square off again tomorrow at the same venue in the second T20I match.
