Afghanistan cruise past Windies in 1st T20

Afghanistan got a commanding 38-run win over West Indies in the first match of their three-match T20 series at the Dubai International Stadium on January 19 on the back of a dominant batting display and equally efficient bowling effort.

Electing to bat first, Afghanistan lost star batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck off the very first ball of the match; however, they dominated the proceedings thereafter to post a formidable score of 181 for three. After Sediqullah Atal fell to pacer Jayden Seales (one for 30) in the third over to leave Afghanistan on 19 for two, the pair of Ibrahim Zadran (87 not out off 56 balls) and Darwish Rasooli (84 off 59) took things into their own hands with a third-wicket stand of 162. Zadran hit eight fours and three sixes in his knock, while Rasooli slammed eight fours and two sixes in his stay at the crease, which was ended with the final ball of the innings when he was caught by West Indies stand-in captain Brandon King off seamer Matthew Forde. The Bajan bowler was the most expensive in the Men in Maroon attack and finished with one for 51.

Similar to Afghanistan, West Indies also lost a wicket in the first over of their innings as King (four) was cleaned up by off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman (two for 29) with only the fourth ball of the chase. Batting at number three, Johnson Charles (27 off 16) tried to get a move on in the power play, but lost partner Evin Lewis, who laboured for four off 16 before being dismissed by pacer Ziaur Rahman in the fifth over.

The Windies were placed on 38 for two at the fall of Lewis' wicket, and an all-too-familiar middle-order collapse then followed as they slipped to 50 for five by the ninth over as Charles, Shimron Hetmyer (three) and Amir Jangoo (three) were dismissed in quick succession. Guyanese debutant Quentin Sampson then entertained for a bit with a breezy 30 off 24 before he was out caught-behind off Ziaur in the 15th over as West Indies slipped to 95 for six.

The lower-order pair of Matthew Forde (25 off 21) and Gudakesh Motie (28 off 15) both struck some boundaries in their 37-run partnership for the seventh wicket, but both were undone by the guile of left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad (two for 34) in the 18th over as Afghanistan closed in on their emphatic win. West Indies eventually ended on 143 for nine as the Afghans jumped out to a 1-0 series lead. The second match of the series will be played on January 21, with the third and final T20 set for the following day.

Summarised Scores:

AFGHANISTAN: 181/3 from 20 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 87 not out, Darwish Rasooli 84; Jayden Seales 1/30) vs WEST INDIES: 143/9 from 20 overs (Quentin Sampson 30, Gudakesh Motie 28, Johnson Charles 27; Ziaur Rahman 3/36, Rashid Khan 2/19). Afghanistan won by 38 runs.