| 2.1 : 2.1: D Zadran to E Lewis, FOUR! Edged and away! There was a second slip in the first over and he has been removed for this one. Had he been there, this would have been a simple catch for him. Serves this around off, Lewis pokes at it and the ball races away to the third man region for a boundary. |
| 3.2 : 3.2: Ur Rahman to C Gayle, OUT! What a brilliant piece of bowling! The 16-year old has just managed to fox the big man. Darts this on middle and leg, Gayle doesn't read the googly and plays the wrong line. The ball goes past his outside edge and removes the off stump from its root. Afghanistan get the big fish. Just the start they were looking for. |
| 7.6 : 7.6: Ur Rahman to E Lewis, FOUR! Much needed for the Windies. Mujeeb bowls this on leg, Lewis gets in position and places it between square leg and short fine leg for a boundary. |
| 8.4 : 8.4: D Zadran to E Lewis, FOUR! Good looking short from Lewis. Back of a length ball, Lewis whips this through mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 8.5 : 8.5: D Zadran to E Lewis, FOUR! Almost chops it on! Around off, too close to cut. Lewis goes on his back foot and tries to slap this through the offside. The ball takes the inside edge, goes past the off pole and races away to the fine leg boundary. |
| 9.2 : 9.2: Ur Rahman to S Hetmyer, FOUR! Elegantly done by Hetmyer. Outside off, Shimron opens the face of the bat and plays it to third man for a boundary. |
| 11.1 : 11.1: M Nabi to S Hetmyer, OUT! Mohammad Nabi strikes gold with his very first ball of the game! What a moment. But, there's an inside edge which the umpire has missed. Oh, how Hetmyer would have liked the review here. Nabi comes from around the wicket and gives it some nice flight around off, it comes in with the drift and catches the front pad of the batsman. Loud shout and the appeal goes up. He looks disappointed and the replays rolling in show why. There's an inside edge before the ball hit |
| 12.5 : 12.5: G Naib to M Samuels, OUT! Evin Lewis is a goner! And it's all due to some excellent work from Najibullah Zadran. Outside off, Samuels cuts it to backward point and responds to his partner's call. Lewis doesn't run in a straight line and almost loses hope. Zadran moves to his left and hits the timber. Lewis is nowhere close to the crease and has to continue walking to the hut. Big wicket this for the men in blue as Lewis can be dangerous later on. |
| 21.6 : 21.6: S Ashraf to M Samuels, FOUR! Ashraf kept it tight until this time. Overpitches this and Samuels hits it back past the bowler along the turf for a boundary. |
| 28.4 : 28.4: M Nabi to M Samuels, FOUR! Finally a short ball has been punished. Half tracker from Nabi, Samuels pulls this over mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 30.5 : 30.5: M Nabi to M Samuels, OUT! Just when we thought that the Windies will now step on the gas after a good partnership, they lose another wicket, yet again. Short ball, Samuels pulls this over mid-wicket but doesn't get enough distance to go all the way. Gulbadin Naib, hares from deep square leg to his left and takes a very good catch. A wicket for Afghanistan just at the right time. Windies will now have to build another partnership. |
| 33.5: R Khan to J Holder, FOUR! Beautiful shot! Rashid Khan throws this wide outside off, Holder uses the width and crashes it square past point for a boundary. |
| 33.6 : 33.6: R Khan to J Holder, FOUR! Back-to-back boundaries to end the over! This will please and provide some much-needed relief to the Windies. Jason Holder takes a big stride forward, gets close to the pitch of the ball and firmly drives it through the covers for a boundary. |
| 36.5 : 36.5: M Nabi to J Holder, SIX! Gets hold of this one! Tossed up ball, Holder slog sweeps this over mid-wicket for the first biggie of the game. Windies badly needs more of this. |
| 40.3 : 40.3: Ur Rahman to J Holder, OUT! Another solid partnership is broken the moment is was looking promising. Fuller on the stumps, Holder goes downtown, looking to clear long on. Not enough height on it and it's straight down the throat of Najibullah who makes no mistake. |
| 42.3: Ur Rahman to S Hope, OUT! HOPE DEPARTS! Wanted to up the ante and score the big ones, walks back in that quest. Tossed up on off, Shai kneels down and slogs it towards long on. Najibullah runs to his left and takes a good catch. That brings an end to a rather snail-paced knock from Shai Hope. |
| 43.2 : 43.2: S Ashraf to C Brathwaite, FOUR! That's a good shot! Fraction straight in line, slightly fuller in length, which allows Brathwaite to kneel forward and across and sweep it through backward square leg for a boundary. |
| 43.3 : 43.3: S Ashraf to C Brathwaite, OUT! Another wicket down for the Windies! Tossed up again, Brathwaite once again goes for the slog sweep but top edges it this time. It balloons up and goes towards Rahmat Shah at deep square leg, where he takes a simple catch. |
| 44.5 : 44.5: R Khan to R Powell, OUT! Catching practice for the Afghans! Tossed up, Powell gets low and sweeps it aerially. Straight into the hands of Mujeeb Ur Rahman who takes it with ease. |
| 49.2 : 49.2: D Zadran to K Paul, SIX! That's a big hit! Windies can use all they can get. Full and in the slot, Keemo Paul slogs it high and mighty over mid-wicket for a maximum. |
| 0.4 : 0.4: J Holder to M Shahzad, FOUR! Something you will expect from Shahzad up front. Back of a length ball, Shahzad flat bats this over the bowler's head for the first boundary. |
| 1.1 : 1.1: K Paul to J Ahmadi, OUT! First legal ball and first international wicket for Keemo Paul. What a way to press the restart button after starting by spraying one wide outside off. Serves this a tad fuller and the ball jags back in after pitching. Ahmadi is late in his flick and the ball goes on to hit his pad. After a strong appeal the umpire decides to raise his finger. The Afghans lose their first wicket in the second over itself. |
| 4.1: J Holder to M Shahzad, OUT! The attacking Shahzad has to depart. He gives room, Holder sees him charging and darts this outside off. Shahzad only manages to get it low on the bat and the ball skies high towards mid-off. Rovman Powell gets under it and takes a simple catch. |
| 6.5 : 6.5: J Holder to S Shenwari, FOUR! Glorious cover drive! Pitched up, around off, Shenwari leans forward and drives it through covers for a boundary. |
| 13.1 : 13.1: C Brathwaite to R Shah, FOUR! Beautifully done by Shah. Over pitched ball, Shah gets forward and gracefully pushes this down the ground for a boundary. |
| 13.4 : 13.4: C Brathwaite to R Shah, FOUR! Second boundary of the innings! And with this comes up the team fifty. Over pitched again, on the off pole, Shah superbly drives this through covers to the fence. |
| 13.6 : 13.6: C Brathwaite to R Shah, FOUR! The Afghans are getting some momentum to the partnership now. Short ball, Shah pulls it towards wide third man for another boundary. |
| 14.1 : 14.1: N Miller to S Shenwari, FOUR! back-to-back boundaries for the men in blue. Miller bowls this around off, Shenwari gets low and sweeps this from the off stump away to the square leg boundary and the ball rolls to the ropes. |
| 18.6 : 18.6: N Miller to R Shah, FOUR! Floats this around off, Shah paddle sweeps this down the leg side for a boundary. |
| 20.3 : 20.3: N Miller to S Shenwari, OUT! This time Gayle holds on! On the second attempt but that doesn't matter. Miller gives this ball air, Shenwari comes forward to drive but gets a thick edge to it. The ball goes to Gayle at slip who fumbles at the first attempt but collects it safely after that. Windies have broken this partnership, will they get another one quickly? |
| 25.3: K Paul to M Nabi, FOUR!Floated ball, Nabi leans forward and drives this through covers for a boundary. This brings up the fifty-run stand for these two. Solid watchful innings from them. Afghanistan will hope they carry on. |
| 29.1 : 29.1: C Brathwaite to M Nabi, FOUR! Another of those edges which run away to the fence. Outside off, plays at it at the last moment and gets a faint edge at it. The ball is far from a diving Hope to stop it for going from a boundary. |
| 35.6 : 35.6: J Holder to M Nabi, OUT! Jason Holder provides the breakthrough. And he is all pumped up. bangs this short, Nabi rocks back and pulls this towards deep square leg. Hetmyer the fielder there dives forward and takes a very good catch to get rid of the settled man. Not the most convincing of shorts from Nabi as it was not needed at this position. They are still 66 runs behind. With this wicket Jason Holder picks up his 100th international wicket and is the quickest to do so. |
| 38.1 : 38.1: A Nurse to R Shah, FOUR! Much needed for the Afghans. Nurse tossed this around off and Shah sweeps this to fine leg for a boundary. 61 more needed. |
| 39.3 : 39.3: N Miller to R Shah, SIX! Effortlessly done by Shah. Slow ball around off, Shah gets to the pitch of the ball and lofts it over mid off for a maximum. Required runs below fifty now. |
| 40.3: A Nurse to R Shah, OUT! This game has suddenly opened up. Outside off, Shah goes for the cut behind backward point but does so straight to Paul stationed there. He doesn't make any mistake and holds onto this. The man who was looking good has to depart. Afghanistan need 46 more to win. |
| 42.2 : 42.2: A Nurse to N Zadran, SIX! Gets this of the meat of the willow. Flighted ball in line of the stumps, Zadran charges down and smokes this over the bowler's head for a maximum. |
| 42.3 : 42.3: A Nurse to N Zadran, FOUR! Great improvisation from Zadran. Bowls this around off, Zadran reverse sweeps this through backward point for a boundary. |
| 43.2 : 43.2: K Paul to N Zadran, OUT! Short and wide, asking to be hit. Zadran upper cuts this straight to Nikita Miller in the deep at backward point. Another Afghan wicket falls. They are losing wickets at regular intervals and need someone to take them through. They are still 30 runs behind. |
| 44.5 : 44.5: J Holder to G Naib, FOUR! Shot! Well placed and well executed. Short and angling down, Naib swivels and pulls it along the ground across the deep backward square leg fence for a boundary. |
| 45.4 : 45.4: C Brathwaite to R Khan, DROPPED! And what makes it worst is that the ball rolls to the fence. Short ball, Rashid cuts it towards third man. Rovman Powell moves to his left but just doesn't judge the ball. It hits his finger tips and goes to the boundary. Khan dropped on five and now Afghan need just 12. |
| 46.3 : 46.3: J Holder to G Naib, OUT! A needless shot from Naib. Just 8 needed and with the field spread out he just needed to tap in the corners and rotate strike. Slower ball in line of the stumps. Naib goes for the big hit and holes out to the fielder at long on. Is there a twist in the tail from here? |
| 47.4 : 47.4: K Paul to S Ashraf, FOUR! And there it is! They live to fight on! AFGHANISTAN WIN BY 3 WICKETS! And what a big victory this is for them. Ashraf gets his team over the finish line in style too as he crashes this through the gap in the covers for a boundary. Roars in celebration afterwards and is met by a hug from his skipper. Excellent scenes! |
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