The Afghanistan cricket team yesterday brought tremendous joy to its far-flung fans when they beat Scotland by one wicket in the last over to claim their first win at the Cricket World Cup.
Samiullah Shenwari scored 96 to bat Afghanistan to the threshold of victory as they chased Scotland’s 210 — their highest-ever score in a World Cup match — but was out with 19 runs needed, 19 deliveries remaining and one wicket standing. The last-wicket pair of Hamid Hassan (15 not out) and Shapoor Zadran (12 not out) combined in a nerveless partnership to complete the famous win with three deliveries to spare.
Shapoor struck the third ball of Iain Wardlaw’s final over for a boundary to end the most passionately contested match to date at this year’s World Cup.
“Thanks to Allah,” Shenwari said. “I was thankful to... get the win for Afghanistan. We lost five wickets early and I had the responsibility to stay there till the end.”
“It was a poor shot to get out, but I was trying to get a six,” he said. “Good win for us in the tournament and we are looking forward to win more.”
Afghanistan have been the most impassioned team at the tournament, celebrating every wicket with unrestrained displays of jubilation, including cartwheels and quiet prayers. So far are they from the norm of professional cricket, where players tend to be more measured and media-trained, that they have brought a new dimension to the tournament.
Afghanistan are competing at their first World Cup in the 50-over format and none of the 14 teams contesting the quadrennial event have had a tougher road to the tournament. War has affected Afghanistan’s security and infrastructure.
Yet this squad of 15 players, many of whom have spent time as refugees outside their homeland, have achieved the tremendous feat first of qualifying for the tournament, then of traveling to the other side of the world to participate in it, and finally to achieve a win in only their third match at the most elite level.
Afghanistan bowled well to dismiss Scotland for 210 from the final ball of the 50th over.
Shapoor Zadran (4-38) and Dhawat Zadran (3-29) reduced Scotland to 144-8 on a seaming pitch before a 62-run ninth wicket stand between Majid Haq (31) and Alasdair Evans lifted Scotland past 200 for the first time at a World Cup.
Throughout their innings, Scotland lost wickets in clusters, established small rebuilding partnerships then again losing momentum when wickets fell in quick succession.
After slipping to 7-1 in the second over, Scotland recovered briefly before losing Hamish Gardiner (5) and Kyle Coetzer (25) to make it 40-3. Matt Machan and captain Preston Mommsen put on 53 for the fourth wicket before Machan was out for the equal top score of 31. Mommsen followed for 23 at 95-5.
Afghanistan made a vibrant beginning to their innings, rushing to 42-0 after seven overs. However, their innings went into a spiral, with Afghanistan slumping to 97-7 before Shenwari began to stabilize the run chase.
Scotland then seemed to have the upper hand and, in a match between teams who had never won a World Cup match, their claim to victory seemed equally compelling.
However, Shenwari, with infinite patience, began building his and Afghanistan’s innings and slowly the course of the game turned again. There were many times when Shenwari’s innings, completed with intermittent support from the Afghanistan tail-enders, seemed too casually paced to save his lineup.
He resolutely defended any ball that contained a threat and preserved his wicket with ferocious determination until the runs required and deliveries remaining began to move into closer synchronization.
He lost partners regularly. Mohammad Nabi (1), Asfar Zazai (0), Najibullah Zadran (4) and Gulbadin Naib (0) were all out as the Afghanistan innings tottered on the verge of total collapse. However, Zadran made nine in a 35-run partnership that halted the slide, then Hamid Hassan helped add 60 for the ninth wicket in a partnership that turned the match.
Shenwari finally went on the offensive, striking three sixes from the bowling of Majid Haq in the 47th over. He was out from the ball after the third six, caught in the deep by Josh Davey, and Haq knelt in exhausted relief as the match tipped in Scotland’s favor.
Shapoor and Hamid then set about the task of scoring the final runs, knowing any more dismissals would bring defeat. They slowly defrayed the runs required and came to the last over needing five. Hamid took a single from the first ball and Shapoor struck the third — a low full toss on leg stump — for the winning boundary.
Shapoor set off on a delirious run to the corner of the ground where a small group of Afghanistan supporters, who had raucously supported their team throughout the match, were waiting to greet him.
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