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ABU DHABI. — Zimbabwe’s Chevrons crashed to a 48-run defeat, at the hands of Afghanistan, in the first of three Twenty20 international matches, here yesterday.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s impressive innings of 87, off 45 balls, powered Afghanistan to a score of 198.
Zimbabwe struggled to chase down the target, with the best performance being Tinashe Kamunhukamwe’s 44, when he opened the batting.
For the first time on this tour, the Chevrons won the toss and put Afghanistan in to bat.
Zimbabwe included four players, who did not take part in the Test series, with Kamunhukamwe, Richmond Mutumbami, Brandon Mavuta and Richard Ngarava coming into the team.
The pitch looked good for batting, without any grass, to encourage the seam bowlers.
Gurbaz and Karim Janat opened the batting, against the bowling of Sikandar Raza and Ngarava.
Gurbaz hit two leg-side sixes, in Ngarava’s first over, but the bowler recovered well to finish with two dot balls.
But, Gurbaz continued to prosper and, after five overs, the score was 58, of which Gurbaz had 41 off 20 balls. He went on to get his fifty off 26 balls.
Immediately, after that, Afghanistan lost their first wicket with the score on 80, as Janat (26) edged a ball from Ngarava to the ‘keeper.
At the 10-over mark, the score was 108 for one. With Asghar Afghan, providing support, Gurbaz looked well set for a century, until he misjudged a slower delivery from Ryan Burl, which he tried to hit for a straight six, only to sky the ball to backward point.
He made 87, with six fours and seven sixes, and Afghanistan were 154 for two, in the 15th over.
Mohammad Nabi, in next, could not find his touch, and was caught in the deep by Mavuta off Ngarava for seven, 185 for three.
Afghan reached his fifty, in the final over, with a six over midwicket, off 37 balls, but off the next delivery he was caught at long-on off, by Blessing Muzarabani.
Rashid Khan hit a superb straight six, off the next ball, but then skied a catch that was taken by the keeper, and a good final delivery by Muzarabani was missed by the new man, leaving Afghanistan on 198 for five.
There were two wickets each for Muzarabani and Ngarava. Tarisai Musakanda was promoted to open the batting with Kamunhukamwe when Zimbabwe made their reply.
After two quiet overs, Musakanda flicked a ball from Naveen-ul-Haq for six, over midwicket, and runs began to flow.
In the fifth over, however, Musakanda was caught near the leg boundary for 18 — 38 for one.
Kamunhukamwe and Sean Williams tried to push the score along quickly but, despite their best efforts, the required run rate steadily rose — at the 10-over mark, the Chevrons were 82 for one. Immediately after this, Williams miscued a flick to leg and was caught for 22, off 20 balls.
Raza quickly got to grips with the bowling, hitting 16 runs off his first eight balls, including three fours.
However, Kamunhukamwe, who had scored 44 off 37 balls, was beaten and bowled by a googly from Khan and Zimbabwe were reduced to 106 for three in the 14th over.
Scores
Afghanistan: 198-5 in 20 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 87, Asghar Afghan 55, Karim Janat 26; Blessing Muzarabani 2/38, Richard Ngarava 2/43, Ryan Burl 1/24)
Zimbabwe: 150-7 in 20 overs (Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 44, Sikandar Raza 22, Sean Williams 22; Rashid Khan 3/28, Karim Janat 2/14, Fareed Ahmad 2/31)
Afghanistan won by 48 runs — Zimcricket.
Online Reporter