A brisk 50 by Mohammad Nabi and a clinical bowling performance in Nagpur yesterday helped Afghanistan knock Zimbabwe out of the World Twenty20 with an emphatic 59-run win to storm into the Super 10s.
Batting first, Afghanistan rode a 98-run stand between Nabi (52) and Samiullah Shenwari (43) to post 186-6, a score that proved to be a winning total after Zimbabawe were shot out for 127 in 19.4 overs.
In-form opener Mohammad Shahzad provided a blazing start to the innings with a 23-ball 40, but his departure saw Afghanistan lose their way to 63-4.
Photo: AP
Medium-pacer Tinashe Panyangara grabbed three wickets to rattle the top order after left-arm spinner Sean Williams had sent dangerman Shahzad back to the dugout.
Nabi, who registered his highest T20 score, and Shenwari then got together to turn things around in the knockout encounter, with some precise power hitting.
The duo combined the right dose of caution and aggression and took a particular liking to medium-pacer Tendai Chatara and Donald Tiripano, whose economy rates were blighted.
“Very happy with my performance, especially in this main match and it was a tough game in the qualifying round,” Nabi said after the game.
Zimbabwe, who remain winless against the Asghar Stanikzai-led side in five attempts, were never in the chase after losing their openers early.
Burdened by the increasing required run rate, the main Zimbabwe batsmen failed to get going, with Sikandar Raza top-scoring among them with 15.
Lower-order batsman Tinashe Panyangara clobbered two sixes in his 17.
Leg-spinner Rashid Khan turned on the heat with a three-wicket haul as medium-pacer Hamid Hassan contributed two scalps.
Ranked ninth in world T20 rankings, Afghanistan face defending champions Sri Lanka, South Africa, England and the West Indies in Group 1 of the Super 10s.
Also in Group B, Scotland were looking for their first win at a major tournament, with their game against Hong Kong starting at press time last night. Neither team could qualify for the main draw.
Heavy rain led to the abandonment of both World Twenty20 qualifiers in Dharamsala on Friday, leaving Bangladesh and Oman to battle for the lone spot in the main draw from Group A.
They are to play today, with the winners joining Australia, India, New Zealand and Pakistan in Group A of the Super 10 stage. Another washout would see Bangladesh advance with a higher net run rate.
The Netherlands and Ireland were looking for wins against Oman and Bangladesh respectively, but rain ended their unlikely quests to advance.
In Mumbai yesterday, England defeated New Zealand in a warm-up game by six wickets, chasing down the Black Caps’ 169/8 with four deliveries remaining.
Additional reporting by staff writer and Reuters
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