HARARE: Hazratullah Zazai and Najibullah Zadran played knocks of 45 and 44 respectively as Afghanistan defeated Zimbabwe by six wickets in the first T20 International here at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday.

Chasing 160, Afghanistan got off to a good start as openers Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (33) put on 83 runs for the first wicket.

Zimbabwe spinner Ryan Burl took three wickets in quick succession but Zadran struck three sixes and two fours in his 25-ball knock as Afghanistan registered a win.

Earlier, middle-order batsman Sikandar Raza top scored with 45 as Zimbabwe posted 159-8.

Opener Wessley Madhevere (32) and Regis Chakabva (29) were the other Zimbabweans to make significant contributions while six of their teammates failed to reach 10.

Debutant Najit Masood, a right-arm medium pacer, was the most impressive Afghan bowler on a batting-friendly track, taking three wickets, including those of Raza and Chakabva.

Pakistan-born Raza, whose T20 batting average is a modest 13.4, was out to a brilliant catch at third man by Zazai having faced 31 deliveries and struck three fours and two sixes.

A googly from Rashid Khan spelt the end of Madhevere while a leading edge from Chakabva led to him being caught at mid-off by captain Mohammad Nabi.

The first of three T20 internationals follows a one-day international (ODI) series in Harare won 3-0 by Afghanistan.

Scoreboard

ZIMBABWE:

W. Madhevere b Rashid 32

I. Kaia c Azmatullah b Fazalhaq 6

C. Ervine c&b Nijat 9

R. Chakabva c Nabi b Nijat 29

M. Shumba st Gurbaz b Nabi 1

Sikandar Raza c Zazai b Nijat 45

R. Burl run out (Janat) 2

L. Jongwe run out (Rashid) 5

A. Ndlovu not out 10

T. Chatara not out 5

EXTRAS (LB-7, NB-1, W-7) 15

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs) 159

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-12 (Kaia), 2-42 (Ervine), 3-64 (Madhevere), 4-66 (Shumba), 5-97 (Chakabva), 6-107 (Burl), 7-123 (Jongwe), 8-148 (Sikander)

DID NOT BAT: B. Muzarabani

BOWLING: Fazalhaq 4-0-27-1 (1w), Nijat 4-0-39-3 (3w, 1nb), Nabi 3-0-30-1 (1w), Azmatullah 3-0-25-0 (1w), Rashid 4-0-21-1 (1w), Janat 2-0-10-0.

AFGHANISTAN:

Hazratullah Zazai c Sikandar b Burl 45

Rahmanullah Gurbaz c Chakabva b Burl 33

Usman Ghani c Chakabva b Burl 1

Darwish Rasooli b Jongwe 11

Najibullah Zadran not out 44

Mohammad Nabi not out 15

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-3, NB-1, W-6) 11

TOTAL (for four wkts, 19.2 overs) 160

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-83 (Gurbaz), 2-83 (Zazai), 3-86 (Usman), 4-134 (Darwish)

DID NOT BAT: Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Nijat Masood.

BOWLING: Chatara 4-0-24-0, Muzarabani 3.2-0-55-0 (2w, 1nb), Jongwe 3-0-34-1 (3w), Ndlovu 1-0-13-0 (1w), Sikandar 4-0-16-0, Burl 4-0-14-3

RESULT: Afghanistan won by six wickets.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2022