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Akram’s over with five wides cost ten runs, but Afghanistan remained in control. Omarzai and Naib steadied the chase, adding 48 for the fifth wicket, with the required rate comfortably under six runs per over. Raza then dismissed Naib lbw for 22, and while Omarzai and Nabi kept ticking the scoreboard with singles and twos, […]
Akram’s over with five wides cost ten runs, but Afghanistan remained in control. Omarzai and Naib steadied the chase, adding 48 for the fifth wicket, with the required rate comfortably under six runs per over.
Raza then dismissed Naib lbw for 22, and while Omarzai and Nabi kept ticking the scoreboard with singles and twos, Raza took a return catch from Omarzai, who scored 34 off 37 balls.
With 12 needed from 9 balls, Nabi eased the pressure with a boundary off Gwandu, and when he struck another four off Akram in the final over, victory was secured.
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After a solid showing in the T20Is against Pakistan, Brian Bennett finished as the highest run-scorer across both teams in the series against Afghanistan, with 107 runs. He took on Naveen-ul-Haq in the third over, cracking boundaries as Zimbabwe scored 31 in the first four overs, despite an early dismissal of Tadiwanashe Marumani.
Bennett was the third wicket to fall, caught by Naveen at deep midwicket off Omarzai after hitting four boundaries in his 24-ball knock of 31. At 57 for 3, just one ball into the ninth over, Zimbabwe’s scoring rate began to slow down.
From 78 for 3 in the 11th over, Zimbabwe crumbled to 106 for 9 by the 17th, with Rashid claiming four of those six wickets.
The collapse began with Sikandar Raza’s unfortunate dismissal, as he holed out to long leg off Mujeeb Ur Rahman after surviving a couple of close calls. Mujeeb then had Wessly Madhevere caught for 21, and Rashid spun his web, trapping Akram, dismissing Tashinga Musekiwa at midwicket, and getting Richard Ngarava and Blessing Muzarabani lbw. The last three wickets all fell in the 17th over, with Rashid finishing with 4 for 27. Despite a resilient 17 not out from Wellington Masakadza, Zimbabwe’s total of 127 proved to be below par.
Ngarava and Muzarabani made early inroads with the new ball, reducing Afghanistan to 9 for 2 after just three overs. Muzarabani struck first, getting Sediqullah Atal caught behind by Marumani, and Ngarava followed suit, having Zubaid Akbari caught behind by Marumani with a rising delivery outside off.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz countered with a couple of boundaries off Muzarabani in the fourth over, and he and Darwish Rasooli added 11 runs in the fifth. However, Muzarabani, bowling his third consecutive over, got Rasooli to edge a leading drive to point.
Raza then brought Gwandu into the attack, and Zimbabwe got a slice of luck right away. A short ball from Gwandu kept low and trapped Gurbaz lbw. Afghanistan were struggling at 44 for 4, but Zimbabwe couldn’t capitalize on the advantage.
Akram’s over, which included five wides, went for 10 runs, but Afghanistan remained in control. Omarzai and Naib added 48 runs for the fifth wicket, with the required run rate still below six per over.
The breakthrough came when Raza trapped Naib lbw for 22 off 22 balls. Omarzai and Nabi continued accumulating singles and twos, with Nabi hitting Ngarava for a boundary. However, Raza then took a simple return catch to dismiss Omarzai for 34 off 37 balls.
Afghanistan needed 12 runs off 9 balls, but Nabi settled the nerves with a boundary off Gwandu behind point. A boundary off Akram to start the final over sealed the victory for Afghanistan.
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