Sport
Afghanistan wins by 16 runs in first of three ODIs against Ireland
Afghanistan got off to a flying start in their first ODI against Ireland in Abu Dhabi on Thursday after they won the toss and opted to bat first.
The Afghanistan opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz – a 19-year-old on ODI debut – and Javed Ahmadi put on 120 for the first wicket before Ireland’s Andy McBrine accounted for Ahmadi, who found Simi Singh in the deep after a period of sustained pressure.
That breakthrough sparked somewhat of a middle-order collapse at the hands of McBrine, whose wickets reduced Afghanistan from 120-0 to 161-5 in the space of 10 overs.
Fortunately for Afghanistan, Rahmanullah displayed a kind of maturity that belied his relative inexperience, as the youngster held firm as wickets fell at the other end, Cricket World reported.
Rahmanullah – who was the player of the series in the three-match T20I series between the two sides in 2020 – eventually brought up his maiden ODI hundred in the 35th over, before accelerating to finish on 127, a knock that came at exactly a run per ball.
Rahmanullah’s effort seemed to inspire the Afghanistan lower-order who rallied after the centurion’s dismissal, to take their side from 198-7 to an imposing final total of 287-9 from their 50 overs with the majority of their late innings run-scoring coming off the blade of Rashid Khan, who blasted a 30-ball 55 from No.9.
Afghanistan kept a tight hold on Ireland’s run chase throughout. Right-arm quick Naveen-ul-Haq took two important early wickets, first trapping O’Brien lbw for one before deceiving Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie with a slower ball for 15, reported Cricket World.
Paul Stirling and Harry Tector brought up a 50-run partnership for the third wicket before both fell in quick succession, as Tector spooned a return catch to Gulbadin off another slower ball before Nabi pinned Stirling in front for 39.
With Ireland 88-4, a rebuilding job was required. Curtis Campher and Lorcan Tucker combined to put on 86 for the fifth wicket before the former eventually fell lbw to Mujeeb Ur Rahman for 39.
Tucker kicked on, though. He soon brought up a second career ODI half-century and raced past his previous career-best ODI score of 56; he eventually fell on 83, stumped trying to use his feet against Rashid as the asking rate climbed. As assured an innings it was, it wasn’t quite enough for Ireland as they eventually fell 16 runs short.
Sorkh Poshan Khafi maintained their position at the top of the Afghanistan Champions League Season 6 standings on Tuesday after defeating defending champions Abu Muslim Farah 2–0 in Kabul.
The victory means Sorkh Poshan Khafi have now won all four of their matches, taking their tally to 12 points and keeping them at the top of the points table.
The match was the second Afghanistan Champions League fixture played in Kabul on Tuesday and proved to be a physical contest, with five yellow cards shown as both sides battled for control.
Sorkh Poshan Khafi eventually broke through to take the lead and added a second goal to secure a convincing 2–0 victory and another clean sheet.
Yar Mohammad Zakarkhil was named Man of the Match for Sorkh Poshan Khafi following his performance.
For Abu Muslim Farah, the result is a setback for the defending champions, who were looking to build momentum in their title defence. The Farah-based side now face the challenge of recovering points as the league campaign continues.
Sorkh Poshan Khafi, meanwhile, remain unbeaten and have maximum points from their opening four matches, putting them firmly at the top of the standings at this stage of the competition.
The sixth season of the Afghanistan Champions League Roshan features 10 clubs and runs until November 21.
Ariana Television Network (ATN) is broadcasting all Afghanistan Champions League matches live and exclusively in Afghanistan. Fans can follow ATN’s social media platforms for match schedules, results and tournament updates.
Omar Zawak Herat and Arman FC faced each other in the 18th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan on Tuesday at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium in Kabul. The high-scoring and entertaining match ended 4–2 in favor of Omar Zawak Herat.
The two teams started the match with a close contest, with no goals scored during the opening eight minutes. In the ninth minute, Omar Zawak captain Samir Samandari opened the scoring with a spectacular long-range strike.
Omar Zawak continued to press ahead in the second half, and in the 78th minute, Shadab Malekzadah doubled his side’s lead after receiving a well-delivered pass from a teammate.
Arman FC responded by increasing the pressure on their opponents and pulled a goal back in the 84th minute through a free kick. Omar Ceela scored for Arman FC.
The excitement increased in the closing stages, as Esmatullah Hadafmand scored Arman FC’s second goal in stoppage time, reducing the deficit to one goal.
However, Omar Zawak restored their advantage soon after. Captain Samir Samandari scored his second goal of the match in stoppage time, before Shadab Malekzadah added another to complete the 4–2 victory for Omar Zawak Herat.
Arman FC will face Aino Mina in their next match on September 25, while Omar Zawak Herat will take on Toofan Herat on September 26.
Matches from the sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League are being broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Khyber Sultani, an Afghan national and international boxing referee, has traveled to China to officiate at the 9th International Boxing Festival.
According to Afghanistan’s General Directorate of Physical Education and Sports, Soltani was sent to Xinjiang by the International Boxing Federation in coordination with the country’s Olympic and sports authorities.
The tournament, hosted in China, will run from September 21 to September 30.
Ahead of the competition, Afghanistan’s national boxing team, which had already arrived in China, completed a two-day training camp to prepare for the event.
The Afghan delegation consists of seven athletes, two coaches and one team official, who will represent Afghanistan at the international tournament.
Sultani’s appointment adds an Afghan official to the international officiating team for the competition.
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