Afghanistan lifted the ODI tri-series trophy in style, comprehensively beating Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the final in Sharjah. They were clinical with bat and ball throughout the competition, capping off with a performance that also saw great fielding on Friday.
Afghanistan bowled out Zimbabwe for 169 in 43.3 overs, before knocking off the target in 34.3 overs. Ibrahim Zadran struck his second half-century in the tournament, as he got them close to the target with an 82-run third wicket stand with captain Rahmat Shah. Zadran was unbeaten on 70 when Hashmatullah Shahidi struck the winning boundary in the 35th over.
Afghanistan’s chase was smooth because of how they had bowled and fielded after Zimbabwe decided to bat first.
Rashid Khan’s 3 for 41 was Afghanistan’s best bowling figures, as he became the second bowler in ODIs to complete six successive innings with at least three wickets each. Afghanistan’s pace trio and Mohammad Nabi had already made Zimbabwe’s life miserable with the first six wickets. Left-arm quick Fazalhaq Farooqi, offspinner Nabi, and seamer Bilal Sami took two wickets each, while Azmatullah Omarzai, the No. 1 ODI allrounder, picked up one wicket.
Only Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza resisted for his side with an innings of 68 that included three sixes and as many fours. Raza thus became the first batter aged 40 years or more to score a fifty in an ODI tournament final.
He walked into bat in what was a familiar situation as Zimbabwe lost their first three wickets quickly. Their top order crumbled similarly even in the two round-robin matches of the tri-series. Farooqi cleaned up Tadiwanashe Marumani, before Omarzai had Brian Bennett caught and bowled with fine reflexes in his follow-through.
AM Ghazanfar, however, topped Omarzai’s efforts with a superb one-handed catch at short square leg after Tafadzwa Tsiga flicked Farooqi uppishly in the next over. When Sami had Brendan Taylor caught behind in the 13th over, Zimbabwe were in freefall at 55 for 4.
But Raza and Ryan Burl briefly rescued Zimbabwe. They focused on picking up the ones and twos, and played out Rashid’s first spell. Raza and Burl struck a few boundaries, until Zadran dropped the latter on 30. Raza soon reached his half-century, as it looked like the pair were about to drag Zimbabwe out of a tough situation.
Raza became the second Zimbabwe captain to score a fifty in a tournament final, after Allistair Campbell’s 51 against Kenya in 1997. Next ball, however, Sami took a tumbling catch at deep square leg after Burl miscued Nabi’s half-tracker.
Nabi’s second wicket followed soon afterwards when wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz affected a superb stumping. Wessley Madhevere missed the ball while coming down the track, as the ball deflected off his pad. Gurbaz collected the ball that was going away from him and broke the stumps in one motion, giving Nabi his 300th wicket across formats in international cricket.
Rashid then came back into the attack and picked up three quick wickets. He trapped Brad Evans lbw for 1 before bowling Newman Nyamhuri with a ball that he delivered from at least two yards behind the popping crease. Rashid then got the big one as Raza’s second attempt for a big hit in the over found the long-off fielder. He had earlier struck Rashid for a 98-metre six over midwicket.
Rashid looked primed to pick up his fourth wicket, but Wellington Masakadza and Blessing Muzarabani resisted him. In fact, the tenth-wicket pair lasted for nearly ten overs during which they added 32 runs. It was the second-highest partnership of Zimbabwe’s innings. When Sami trapped Masakadza for 8, it finally ended things for Zimbabwe as they posted a sub-par total in the final.
Afghanistan tore into the Zimbabwe attack in their reply. Zadran kicked things off with a flurry of boundaries off Evans, including a huge six over square leg in the fourth over. Gurbaz took over from that point, cracking the left-arm quick Nyamhuri for consecutive fours in the eighth over. He launched Muzarabani over fine leg, before picking up Evans down the ground for sixes.
Nyamhuri cut Gurbaz’s stay short when the batter carved a slower ball into Madhevere’s lap at point. Gurbaz struck six boundaries, including the two sixes, in his 31-ball 36. Nyamhuri also removed Sediqullah Atal shortly afterwards, as the left-hand batter was caught behind for 6.
Captain Rahmat Shah then took control of the chase. He picked the singles and doubles quite regularly with Zadran, who was also comfortable at the crease. The pair went through 77 balls without hitting a boundary, but hardly looked out of place. Rahmat’s cover-driven four in the 27th over broke the duck, before Zadran slogged Raza for another four in the over.
Rahmat slammed Masakadza’s short ball for his first six, hammered over midwicket, before Burl took an excellent catch at short midwicket with eight runs left in the chase. Rahmat made 43 off 63 balls with a four and a six each. Shahidi and Zadran, who struck four fours and a six in his 96-ball stay, scored the remaining runs easily thereafter.
Scores:
Afghanistan 170 for 3 in 34.3 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 70*, Rahmat Shah 43; Newman Nyamhuri 2-43) beat Zimbabwe 169 in 43.3 overs (Sikandar Raza 68; Rashid Khan 3-41, Mohammad Nabi 2-25, Bilal Sami 2-27, Fazalhaq Farooqi 2-41) by seven wickets
(Cricinfo)