Sport
West Indies beat Afghanistan in final group game
West Indies defeated Afghanistan by 104 runs in the final group stage game of the T20 World Cup on Tuesday.
Nicholas Pooran's blistering 98 off 53 balls (six fours, eight sixes) highlighted a dominant batting effort by West Indies as they piled up 218 for five after being put in as the two Super Eight qualifiers sparred in advance of the next phase of the tournament starting on Wednesday.
Afghanistan were bundled out for 114 off 16.2 overs in reply.
Coming to the middle in the second over after the demise of Brandon King, Pooran and hometown hero Johnson Charles (43 off 27 balls) accelerated at supersonic speed in lifting the total to 92-1 by the sixth over.
It was the highest total ever in the Powerplay overs of a T20 World Cup since the first of the eight editions was played in South Africa in 2007.
That period of carnage included 36 off an over from seamer Azmatullah Omarzai, whose wayward bowling in the fourth over of the innings reflected the confused state of an Afghan team that previously had things much their own way in the field in their first three matches in the group.
But it was Omarzai who ended Pooran's pursuit of the century in the final over of the innings, his direct hit to the striker's end from deep cover leaving the left-hander just short of his ground as he dived to the crease in attempting to complete a second run.
There was some consolation in getting to 2,000 T20I runs towards the end of his innings, but most importantly it represented a return to his best at a time when the West Indies are likely to need his phenomenal power-hitting in the Super Eight stage.
With all the frontline Afghan bowlers taking a hammering it was left to Gulbadin Naib to help pull things back with 2-14 off two overs, the wickets of Shai Hope and captain Rovman Powell helping to put a measure of restraint on the rampant West Indies batting.
(AFP)
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Sport
Bangladesh level series after beating Afghanistan by 68 runs
Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first, posting a total of 252 for seven
Bangladesh defeated Afghanistan by 68 runs in the second ODI to level the three-match series 1-1 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE on Saturday.
Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first, posting a total of 252 for seven.
The game was a must-win for Bangladesh to keep the series alive after a 92-run defeat in the first match.
Chasing a target of 253, Afghanistan faced early setbacks, losing Rahmanullah Gurbaz to Taskin Ahmed in the fourth over.
Afghanistan’s hopes rested on Rahmat Shah, who scored 52 from 76 balls. Shah, however, was run out in the 30th over, dealing a crucial blow to Afghanistan’s chase just as they were attempting to rebuild.
Afghanistan’s innings concluded at 184 in 43.3 overs.
The third and final ODI of the series will take place on November 11 at the same venue, with the winner set to claim the series.
Sport
Afghanistan crush Bangladesh in landmark match at Sharjah
Mohammad Nabi's 84 off 79 balls and Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar's six-wicket haul led Afghanistan to a 92-run victory over Bangladesh in Sharjah on Wednesday in the first one-day international of a three-match series.
Chasing a mediocre 236, Bangladesh were bowled out for 143 as they lost their last eight wickets for 23 runs in Sharjah, which became the first venue to host 300 men's international matches.
Afghanistan were reeling at 71-5 before captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (52) and Nabi lifted them to 235 in 49.4 overs.
Bangladesh cruised to 120-2 in the chase led by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz, but they collapsed after Nabi broke the partnership.
Sharjah will also host the remaining two matches in the series.
(Reuters)
Sport
Afghanistan bat first, hand ODI debut to Sediqullah Atal
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss against Bangladesh in the first ODI in Sharjah on Wednesday afternoon and opted to bat first.
Shahidi said after the toss the reason for choosing to bat first was that “the pitch looks good and the ball moves a bit under lights”.
As the match got underway, Afghanistan handed a debut to left-hand opening batter Sediqullah Atal, with regular opener Ibrahim Zadran ruled out due to an ankle injury.
Atal, however, has played six T20Is already.
Afghanistan enters the series on the back of a 2-1 win against South Africa in September, while Bangladesh are playing their first ODI in eight months.
Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has also included some familiar faces including Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi along with
Fazalhaq Farooqi, Azmatullah Omarzai and Gulbadin Naib.
Afghanistan are coming off a 2-1 win against South Africa, even as Bangladesh are playing their first ODI in eight months
But Bangladesh skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto is leading his squad in the three-match ODI series as they look to bury their misery after being thrashed by South Africa in their two-match Test series last week.
Bangladesh meanwhile sit eight in the ICC ODI team rankings – just ahead of Afghanistan at ninth.
But Afghanistan are on a high in limited overs cricket, having beaten top nations including England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in last year's World Cup held in India.
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