ZIM vs AFG third T20I | Gurbaz and Zadran power Afghanistan to thrilling win in high-scoring contest

‌Afghanistan ended their three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe in emphatic fashion with a nine-run win in a high scoring thriller in Harare on Sunday. Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran’s 159-run opening wicket association powered the visitors to a formidable total of 210/3 before they bowled out the hosts to complete a 3-0 clean sweep.

Opting to bat first at the Harare Sports Club, both openers powered the side to an excellent start plundering 73 runs in the first six overs. Gurbaz and Zadran completed their respective half-centuries and also took the visitors past the 150-run mark with five overs to spare. The wicketkeeper-batter tonked five sixes and eight fours during his 48-ball 92, while stand-in skipper Zadran hit seven fours en route to a 49-ball 60. Once the openers departed, Sediqullah Atal’s entertaining cameo of 35 from 15 balls, including three sixes and two fours, took the side to 210/3 at the end of 20 overs. For the home side, pacer Brad Evans was the pick among the bowlers with a spell of 2/33 in four overs, while Richard Ngarava picked up a solitary wicket.

Opener Brian Bennett and captain Sikandar Raza pulled the hosts out of the woods after they were reduced to 19/2 inside three overs during the chase. The duo’s 85-run partnership took Zimbabwe past the 100-run mark in just the 11th over and kept them on track for a consolation win. But both the set batters departed in the space of two overs to bring the match back in the balance. Raza smashed two sixes and seven fours during his 29-ball 51, while Bennett had three fours and two sixes, scoring 47 off 31 balls. However, handy contributions from the middle order helped the side past the 200-run mark. Though Ryan Burl (37 off 15) and Tashinga Musekiwa (28) took them close, the home side could manage just 201 in their allotted 20 overs. Abdollah Ahmadzai was Afghanistan’s top wicket taker picking up 3/42 in four overs, while Fazalhaq Farooqi and Fareed Ahmad chipped in with two wickets each to complete the demolition job for the visitors.