Sport
Netherlands eye Super 12 berth following victory over Namibia
The Netherlands have leapt to the top of Group A and are well placed to qualify for the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup following their nail-biting five-wicket triumph over Namibia in Geelong on Tuesday.
It came down to the final over with the Netherlands needing six to win and experienced all-rounder Bas de Leede held his nerve and made sure he did enough to clinch the Player of the Match award by guiding his side home with three balls remaining.
It was an excellent team performance from the Netherlands, with skipper Scott Edwards rotating his bowlers well to ensure Namibia could muster just 121/6 in good conditions at Kardinia Park.
The European side used seven different bowlers to put the clamps on their opponents, with de Leede (2/18) the main beneficiary and the only bowler to pick up multiple wickets for the winners.
Opening duo Vikramjit Singh (39) and Max O’Dowd (35) got the Netherlands off to a bright start and the victory target was always within reach, with de Leede’s steady knock of 30* enough to overcome a late wobble.
The victory sees the Netherlands move to the top of Group A and they can clinch a berth at the Super 12 stage by defeating Sri Lanka in their final group match on Thursday.
While the narrow loss was not ideal for Gerhard Erasmus’ talented side, they are still in the mix to make it through to the Super 12 stage if they can win their final match on Thursday against the UAE.
Namibia will enter that contest knowing what they need to do to qualify, given Sri Lanka take on the Netherlands in the other group match at the same venue in Geelong earlier in the day.
Sport
Omar Zawak thrash Istiqlal Kabul 5-1 in ACL
Omar Zawak secured an emphatic 5-1 victory over Istiqlal Kabul in the 80th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan, delivering an impressive attacking performance.
The match was played in Kabul on Tuesday. Both teams struggled to find the back of the net in the first half, which ended goalless.
However, Omar Zawak stepped up their attacking efforts in the second half, scoring five goals to take control of the match. Istiqlal Kabul managed to score just once as Omar Zawak sealed a convincing 5-1 victory.
Omar Zawak will face Ariana Khost in their next match on November 12, while Istiqlal Kabul will take on Aino Mina Kandahar on the same day.
All matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sport
First Test between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe ends in a draw
Zimbabwe produced a remarkable batting display to secure a draw against Afghanistan in the first Test in Sharjah, with Craig Ervine and Wessly Madhevere scoring unbeaten centuries on the final day.
Resuming the fifth and final day at 164/3, Zimbabwe finished on 523/5 in their second innings, following their first-innings total of 504. This marked the first time in Test cricket history that a team has scored more than 500 runs in both innings of a match.
Craig Ervine remained unbeaten on 206, while Madhevere scored 100 not out, as the pair frustrated Afghanistan’s bowlers throughout the day.
Ervine, aged 41 years and 82 days, became the third-oldest player to score a double century in Test cricket.
Afghanistan had posted 514 in their first innings. Afghanistan needed early wickets to put pressure on the hosts, but Zimbabwe’s batters showed patience and discipline on a pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers.
Brian Bennett scored a half-century before Mohammad Saleem dismissed him, while debutant Antum Naqvi contributed 61 runs. Naqvi and Ervine shared a 140-run partnership before Abdul Malik broke the stand.
However, Madhevere joined Ervine and the pair put together an unbeaten 208-run partnership for the sixth wicket, the highest for that wicket in Zimbabwe’s Test history. Madhevere also registered his maiden Test century during the partnership.
The result leaves the two sides level heading into the second and final Test, which is scheduled to begin in Sharjah on November 13.
Sport
Portugal beat Afghanistan 2-0 in Dakar Youth Olympics futsal semi-finals
Afghanistan’s Under-18 futsal team missed out on a place in the gold medal match at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Portugal in the semi-finals on Monday.
Portugal took the lead through Joao Carvalho, who capitalised on a goalkeeping error by Afghanistan’s Ahmad Esmaeili to score into an unguarded net from inside his own half.
Diego Ferreira doubled Portugal’s advantage before half-time, putting the European side firmly in control of the match.
Afghanistan pushed hard to get back into the game in the second half, creating several opportunities to reduce the deficit. However, they were unable to find the net, with Portugal goalkeeper Bernardo Borges making several important saves.
The victory sends Portugal into the gold medal match, while Afghanistan will now compete for the bronze medal at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
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