Published: Jul 23, 2015, 02:31 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 31, 2016, 01:51 PM (IST)
The 13th day of the ICC world Twenty20 Qualifier 2015: will it be lucky for Afghanistan? Welcome to CricketCountry’s coverage of the second day of the playoffs, which will feature Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, and later, Namibia and Oman, in action at The Village, Malahide, Dublin. Needing to defend 15 from the final over, Afghanistan’s offspinning allrounder Mohammad Nabi dished out fast full tosses to get their opposition, Hong Kong, the crucial win on Tuesday that allowed them to clinch a spot at the mega event next year. In the other game of that day, Netherlands bowled with discipline, and backed it up with staid and pragmatic batting, to win comfortably and book their spot, too. That left the two losers, Afghanistan and Namibia, having to defeat Papua New Guinea and Oman, in a do or die position to do the same, thereby, finalising the six teams from the tournament to participate alongside the ten member nations next March-April.
A great win for Oman, whose determination during their fielding outing, and their batting, was evident. Namibia seemed to have sagging spirits towards the end, and will reflect on a lost opportunity when they were well-placed in the middle of their innings to get a score of 170 to 180. But wickets kept tumbling during the death of their innings, with Munis Ansari on a hat-trick at a point.
Man of the Match: Zeeshan Maqsood, who is all smiles talking to Pommie Mbangwa after the win. A historical day for Oman’s cricket.
Live Cricket Score: Oman 150/5 | Overs 19 (Target 149): OUT and SIX and FOUR! Mehran Khan tried to slog Gerrie Snyman out of the ground, but the ball snuck through to get him bowled But that didn’t deter Zeeshan Siddiqui, the other set batsman, to crack two crucial hits. He smokes a four over long-off and belts Snyman through cover. Oman on the verge of a win here! A nudge to short midwicket, a square drive through cover, a clumsy drill to mid-on, and a slap through long-off for a SIX, gets them the win! Not Out: Zeeshan Siddiqui 51 (32), Aamer Ali 4 (4)
Live Cricket Score: Oman 130/4 | Overs 17 (Target 149): There are two fours scored in the 15th over, through cover and deep midwicket. The run-flow is getting smoother with the ability of the set batsmen to get the singles off every ball, and an odd boundary. Bit Namibia strike in the 17th over, through a run out, and Jatinder Singh is the one to go. The required-run rate is still less than seven. Batting: Zeeshan Siddiqui 34 (25), Mehran Khan 0 (1)
Live Cricket Score: Oman 101/3 | Overs 14 (Target 149): A push or a drive through extra-cover is the main shot played against Bernard Scholtz’s left-arm spin. The last ball had the batsman run down the track to loft the ball to get it to long-on on a bounce. There is clapping and a ‘shabash’ from the Oman dugout when Zeeshan Ahmed gets an edge past the wicketkeeper (hard to say whether it was deliberate) for a four. 100 up for Oman in 13.5 overs. There are ries and pushes into the off side from this over, too. Batting: Jatinder Singh 22 (23), Zeeshan Siddiqui 18 (16)
Live Cricket Score: Oman 88/3 | Overs 12 (Target 149): Amid working man’s shots like a steer to short third man and a cut straight to the fielder at point, there is the oasis of a six through extra cover described by the commentator as ‘shot of the match’, then there is a push to the vacant area between point and cover, and a nudge for two off the final ball of the 12th over. Batting: Jatinder Singh 18 (18), Zeeshan Siddiqui 9 (9)
Live Cricket Score: Oman 75/3 | Overs 10 (Target 149): OUT! The third wicket falls: Kaleem attempted a fierce sweep off Bernard Scholtz, but the ball touched his glove and lobbed up to the wicketkeeper’s hands.The batsmen are taking singles or doubles off every ball. 13 runs are taken from 12 balls. Batting: Jatinder Singh 14 (13), Zeeshan Siddiqui 0 (2)
Live Cricket Score: Oman 62/2 | Overs 8 (Target 149): The batsmen are showing urgency in the crease, keen to turn ones into twos. But it has cost them their second wicket. After a hit to the deep, the fielder misfields, and deciding to turn that into the extra run had Maqsood caught short of the crease with a decent throw. The left-hand batsman Aamir Kaleem gets one of the balls from the over tickled to the third man boundary to help get nine runs from the eighth over. Batting: Jatinder Singh 7 (6), Aamir Kaleem 6 (3)
Live Cricket Score: Oman 46/1 | Overs 6 (Target 149): Khawar Ali is caught at deep midwicket off medium-fast bowler Sarel Burger. This has been a quiet period for them, with eight runs collected in singles. Batting: Zeeshan Maqsood 24 (22), Jatinder Singh 1 (1)
Live Cricket Score: Oman 38/0 | Overs 4 (Target 149): Left-arm spinner Nicolaas Scholtz is punished for errors in length. He bowled two short balls which were latched on to, by both batsmen He erred in line as well, with a ball rifting to the leg side and being steered to the fine leg position. Zeeshan Maqsood 19 (17), Khawar Ali 16 (8)
Live Cricket Score: Oman 17/0 | Overs 2 (Target 149): A slog sweep to fine leg gets Khawar Ali a boundary in the final ball of the first over from Gerrie Snyman. Tiaan Snyman bowls a wide and a no ball before Maqsood smashes a six over midwicket. Batting: Zeeshan Maqsood 8 (9), Khawar Ai 6 (4)
Live Cricket Score: Namibia 148/9 | Overs 20: Another wicket! JP Kotze slices Munis Ansari’s ball to short third man, who takes a simple catch. There is an attempted lap sweep, but the execution is poor, as the ball goes through harmlessly to the wicketkeeper. Four runs are taken off four balls from tailenders. Oman have come back well in the death overs. The last six overs had six wickets taken and only 24 conceded. Batting: Michau du Preez 3 (3)
Live Cricket Score: Namibia 140/7 | Overs 19: The Oman dugout shouts ‘come on’ as the set Stephen Baard is out! And this was the second wicket of the over, as Nicolaas Scholtz got his flick wrong to have Aamer Ali taking a catch in the deep. Munis Ansari, the bowler, was pumped up. And in the next over, Gerhard Erasmus is stumped out by left-arm spinner Aamer. Namibia are losing their way here. Batting: Du Preez 1 (1), JP Kotze 2 (2)
Live Cricket Score: Namibia 132/4 | Overs 17: OUT! Sarel Burger stepped down the track to smoke the left-arm spinner Aamer Ali down the ground, but was beaten in flight, and was stumped. Nicolaas Scholtz, who replaced Burger in the middle, smashed Ali off his first ball for a six. 11 runs had come from the 16th over, helped by a six from a slower ball of Rajeshkumar Ranpura. Baard is the lynchpin of this innings his presence will allow Namibia the needed big hits. Batting: Stephen Baard 61 (49), Nicolaas Scholtz 6 (1)
Live Cricket Score: Namibia 113/3 | Overs 15: Stephen Baard has completed his fifty, and Namibia have crossed 100. Khawar Ali’s third over is frugal, as only two runs come from it, but the batsmen target him in his final over, the 15th. A full toss is smashed for a big six, and there is a four hit through mid-off, which could’ve been restricted to two or fewer. Batting: Stephen Baard 51 (43), Sarel Burger 16 (12)
Live Cricket Score: Namibia 88/3 | Overs 12: OUT! Lalcheta strikes! Craig Williams tried to slog sweep him to midwicket, but missed the ball which sneaked through to hit the stumps. However, Oman have missed another chance of a wicket with a simple run-out chance. A mix-up between the batsmen had Williams running more than halfway down the track and coming back, but an ineffective throw to the person at the non-strikers’ end killed the chance. He was miles out. The run-rate has slowed, with the lack of boundaries, to 7.33. Batting: Stephen Baard 41 (36), Sarel Burger 1 (1)
Live Cricket Score: Namibia 80/2 | Overs 10: OUT! Raymond van Schoor made room to play a probable cut shot, but the ball didn’t spin away from him, and went on straight, which Schoor chopped on to his stumps. Only six and four runs taken from the ninth and tenth overs respectively. Batting: Stephen Baard 37 (31), Criag Williams 3 (4)
Live Cricket Score: Namibia 70/1 | Overs 8: A six and a four is hit, among singles around, in this two-over period, both by Raymond van Schoor. He hit Zeeshan Maqsood’s spin to long-off for the six, and in the next over, paddled him to the third man boundary.Batting: Stephen Baard 32 (25), Raymond van Schoor 33 (21)
Live Cricket Score: Namibia 51/1 | Overs 6: Medium-fast bowler Rajeshkumar Ranpura, who came on to bowl the sixth over, is dispatched through fine leg for an effortless boundary on his first ball, and on his second ball there is a drop, via a mistimed shot, and the man at square leg fails to hold on to the stiff catch. The earlier over had two boundaries scored, over fine leg and cover. Namibia cross 50. Batting: Stephen Baard 29 (20), Raymond van Schoor 18 (20)
Live Cricket Score: Namibia 30/1 | Overs 4: Dropped! Van Schoor tries to get a sweep fine to the leg side, behind the wicketkeeper, but gets only a glove through to the keeper, who can’t hold on to the catch on the dive. Lalcheta gets two singles taken off his four balls, but is hit for two fours, one a hit through extra-cover down the track. Batting: Stephen Baard 16 (13), Raymond van Schoor 10 (9)
Live Cricket Score: Namibia 16/1 | Overs 2: Oman have struck in the second over! Gerrie Snyman tries to sweep left-arm spinner Ajay Lalcheta, but misses, and the ball strikes him full on middle stump. He departs for a duck! Baard, who played the first over, struck two fours, over cover and square leg, and off the last ball of Lalcheta, he steps out of his crease, and elegantly swings his bat in a lovely arc to get a six, the first of the innings, down the ground. This was like a golf shot. Sweetly hit. Batting: Stephen Baard 14 (8), Raymond van Schoor 0 (2)
Play is set to begin, and with some prayers and a symbol of unity, Oman’s players walk out to field. Stephen Baard and Gerrie Snyman to open for Namibia. Rain has begun to fall at the venue, at The Village, Malahide, Dublin, and there is a slight delay. It is describe as ‘a few drops of rain’, not enough to have umbrellas around.
At the same venue, Oman have decided to bowl after winning the toss.
Teams:
Oman: Zeeshan Maqsood, Khawar Ali, Jatinder Singh, Zeeshan Ahmad, Aamir Kaleem, Mehran Khan, Sultan Ahmed* (wk), Amir Ali, Ajay Lalcheta, Munis Ansari, Rajeshkumar Ranpura
Namibia: Stephen Baard, Gerrie Snyman, Raymond van Schoor, Craig Williams, Sarel Burger, Gerhard Erasmus, Nicolaas Scholtz (c), JP Kotze (wk), Michau du Preez, Bernard Scholtz, Tiaan Snyman
Nawroz Mangal is the Man of the Match. This is his second half-century in a row, but this time, it is useful enough for a win. He says he is excited about his country’s participation in the ICC World Twenty20 2016, and why not? It’s come a bit later than expected, but the participation is ratified now. A comfortable, all-round win for their side, set up by a tight bowling performance that had PNG struggling. PNG, who will have some good memories from this tournament, are out.
Live Cricket Score: Afghanistan 128/4 | Overs 18.2 (Target 127): Afghanistan WIN! Two sixes seal the deal. After lots of singles through pushes and turns to leg, Najibullah gets an important, mighty hit: an overpitched ball is smashed to long-on to get the equation in favour of the batting side. The delivery was a front-foot no-ball as well. And off the next over, Najibullah deposits Vanua to midwicket to get his side over the line. Not Out: Nawroz Mangal 65 (56), Najibullah Zadran 14 (6)
Live Cricket Score: Afghanistan 101/3 | Overs 16 (Target 127): Dropped! Is it the turning point of the game? After lots of singles through midwicket and mid-on, Nabi tries to heave Amini deep into the leg side. But he gets an edge that balloons to deep mid-off, where two fielders converge on the ball Eventually, one gets to it, but is unable to pouch it into his hands. Batting: Nawroz Mangal 56 (48), Mohammad Nabi 11 (7)
Live Cricket Score: Afghanistan 87/3 | Overs 14 (Target 127): The two batsmen are scampering through the pitch, and the PNG fielders are throwing themselves in the field. Shenwari has gifted his wicket to Charles Amini, trying to reverse slog him out of the ground, but managing only to lob the ball to the point fielder. Nabi, the next man in, gets a four from his first ball. Nawroz Mangal 49 (42), Mohammad Nabi 4 (1)
Live Cricket Score: Afghanistan 74/2 | Overs 12 (Target 127): Two consecutive sixes have calmed the nerves. Mangal lofts the two final balls of Dai’s over towards the straight boundary. But with only three runs coming fro the next over, the required run-rate is more than the run-rate. Batting: Nawroz Mangal 43 (36), Samiullah Shenwari 3 (6)
Live Cricket Score: Afghanistan 57/2 | Overs 10 (Target 127): GONE! Stanikzai steps down the track to smash Charles Amini’s spinning ball down the ground, but was beaten by the decent turn. Afghanistan are scoring at a run-rate of less than six, and perhaps that was why the aggression was attempted. Mangal had, in the earlier over, smashed the other spinner, Mahuru Dai, for a six through midwicket off a long hop. Nawroz Mangal 29 (30)
Live Cricket Score: Afghanistan 44/1 | Overs 8 (Target 127): There are either runs to be had in the leg side, via pulls or mistimed slogs, or through oint. Now that the fields are spread out, the ball is hit to various parts, but only singles are collected from them. The two batsmen, however, look completely at ease and could let loose any time. Batting: Stanikzai 20 (27), Mangal 19 (21)
Live Cricket Score: Afghanistan 32/1 | Overs 6 (Target 127): The end of the PowerPlay has Afghanistan reaching a calm 32 for one, as Stanikzai and Mangal are intent to work the ball around and play safely. Mangal had a slog towards the leg side for a boundary, but that was one of the rare ones. Stanikzai 14 (20), Mangal 14 (15)
Live Cricket Score: Afghanistan 21/1 | Overs 4 (Target 127): Three runs taken from the over, with two coming from the last ball, via a cut through backward point. Vanua is tight in this over. Batting Asghar Stanikzai 11 (15), Nawroz Mangal 6 (8)
Live Cricket Score: Afghanistan 18/1 | Overs 3 (Target 127): Vanua gets hit on the first ball of the over, with Mangal hitting him through the point boundary. But it is a quiet over otherwise. Batting Asghar Stanikzai 9 (13), Nawroz Mangal 5 (3)
Live Cricket Score: Afghanistan 13/1 | Overs 2 (Target 127): Stanikzai, the captain, turns one off his legs to the square leg boundary, and gets a cut through square of cover. There are four leg byes too 13 from this over. Batting: Asghar Stanikzai 9 (10), Nawroz Mangal 0 (1)
Live Cricket Score: Afghanistan 1/1 | Overs 1 (Target 127): GONE! off the first ball of the chase! Vanua gets Shehzad to attempt a waft outside off, but he gets an edge to the wicketkeeper. Vanua gets good swing, and the other balls are negotiated safely. Batting: Asghar Stanikzai 1 (4), Nawroz Mangal 0 (1)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 127/6 | Overs 20: Ashraf gives away ten runs from this over, an this includes a four, a deftly executed lap behind the wicketkeeper from Norman Vanua. The other runs are urgently scampered runs off hits to deep-set fielders. PNG finish well. Batting: Charles Amini 37 (37), Norman Vanua 22 (10)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 117/6 | Overs 19: Hamid Hassan is proving expensive! PNG are looking to make amends for their slow rate by targeting this over to have something to bowl at. Vanua has hit the fast bowler for two fours and a six in the first three balls, the first off an outside edge towards third man, the next two towards square leg and cover. After a single is taken, Amini also joins in, taking a cheeky boundary using the pace of the bowler. Batting: Charles Amini 33 (34), Norman Vanua 16 (7)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 97/6 | Overs 18: Shapoor strays from his potent line, an bowls a bit too straight, an on one occasion, on the pads. It helps collect eight runs from the over, including seven leg byes. But PNG are yet to reach 100. Batting: Charles Amini 28 (32), Norman Vanua 1 (3)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 89/6 | Overs 17: Vare’s short stay at the crease comes to an end with a straight ball that was too good for him, from Hassan. The sevent runs that have come in the over are point, square leg, long on. Batting: Charles Amini 28 (29)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 82/5 | Overs 16: Dawlat Zadran, coming back into the attack, gets hit four a rare four and a six. First, Amini pulls a short ball to midwicket to collect the first six of the innings, and second, Vare manages to get a length ball to long leg for a four. Batting: Charles Amini 24 (26), Jack Vare 10 (7)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 66/5 | Overs 15: Mirwais Ashraf concedes seven runs through nudges, dabs and leg byes. Batting: Charles Amini 13 (22), Jack Vare 5 (5)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 59/5 | Overs 14: Almost a run-out! But needed a direct hit. The batsmen were scampering two to long on, but decent fielding and a good throw caught the struggling batsman, Jack Vare, at the bowlers’ end, shot But the ball didn’t hit the stumps. Batting: Charles Amini 12 (19), Jack Vare 1 (2)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 55/5 | Overs 13: Dai is gone! He had just expertly hit the second boundary of his side down fine leg, off a pick-up sweep off Shapoor Zadran, but on the next ball, this time outside off stump, he upper cut it straight to the hands of Nawroz Mangal at thirds man. Half the side is back in the pavilion. Dai trudges off in disappointment. The other balls are all dots. Batting: Charles Amini 9 (15), Jack Vare 0 (1)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 51/4 | Overs 12: Mohammad Nabi bowls five dot balls, and there is only a couple scored, through the point region, in his over. PNG aren’t getting going in their innings. Batting: Mahuru Dai 9 (13), Charles Amini 7 (10)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 49/4 | Overs 11: Hamid Hassan, however, is comfortably played, picked for seven runs, including a slog to the leg side The bowler clearly isn’t bowling at his fastest. There is something impeding him, and it is his back. Batting: Mahuru Dai 7 (10), Charles Amini 7 (7)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 42/4 | Overs 10: Ashraf gets a ball pitching in line with the stumps and rapping the raps of Vala; he is given out, as PNG lose their fourth wicket. The poor run-rate and these wickets falling seem to suggest the wheels falling off for the batting side. They at least need a score to bowl at. But the accuracy by Afghanistan’s bowlers has been too good for them. Batting: Mahuru Dai 3 (7), Charles Amini 4 (4)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 37/3 | Overs 9: Hamid Hassan comes on to bowl his first over! He is, however, not at his hundred percent, it seems, seen in his semi-intense run up. Off one of the balls, the batsman rammed into him, helmet strking his back, trying to complete a single at the bowlers’ end. There is an attempted run down the track but he is too good to be hit. Another quiet over, three from it. Batting: Asad Vala 7 (14), Mahuru Dai 2 (6)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 34/3 | Overs 8: OUT! Morea is lbw by Mohammad Nabi, who comes back, to bowl his second over. Four singles are taken. The new man is Mahuru Dai. Batting: Asad Vala 5 (12), Mahuru Dai 2 (2)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 30/2 | Overs 7: The first boundary scored by PNG comes in the seventh over, via an outside edge that travels fine of the third man region. The spreading of the field also helps, as the batting side picks up 10 runs from the over, bowled by Mirwais Ashraf. Batting: Asad Vala 3 (10), Vani Morea 9 (10)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 20/2 | Overs 6: There is an intended drive but a miss through to the keeper, there is a chip down the track but the accuracy of that ball makes it a dot, a play and a miss, but ultiately there are only three singles taken from the sixth over. The end of the PowerPLay, and still no boundaries; it describes the hold Afghanistan’s bowlers have over the opposition batting. Batting: Asad Vala 2 (8), Vani Morea 1 (6)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 17/2 | Overs 5: OUT! The openers are removed now, as Ura tries to play a pull shot off Shapoor Zadran and gets a tickle through to the wicketkeeper, who throws the ball up in fierce delight. And then, almost a run out! Vani Morea is halfway down the pitch before realising the ball was close by and he dived to get back, the ball struck him and there was no harm done. Batting: Assad Vala 2 (8), Vani Morea 1 (6)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 14/1 | Overs 4: OUT! Dawlat Zadran strikes, get a good length ball climbing up to the batsman just outside the off stump, Siaka couldn’t avoid getting an edge behind. He was beaten by pace. The last ball of the over has the batsman playing and missing outside the off stump through to the wicketkeeper. Batting: Tony Ura 5 (12), Assad Vala 0 (3)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 12/0 | Overs 3: Accuracy and good bounce has ensured another quiet over, this time from Shapoor Zadran. No a single boundary has been hit by the openers so far. There are only singles taken from defensive shots. Batting: Tony Ura, Lega Siaka
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 9/0 | Overs 2: Dawlat Zadran has bowled his first over with pace and accuracy: after bowling at the stumps for a couple of balls, he gets it in the corridor to help get some movement. Ura and Siaka pick up five runs, including a couple through a leg-side clip, and a leg bye. Batting: Tony Ura 4 (8), Lega Siaka 3 (4)
Live Cricket Score: Papua New Guinea 3/0 | Over 1: Mohammad Nabi, the one who bowled the last over against Hong Kong, will bowl the first over. A quite first over with two ruins and a leg bye. That is 13 more than he conceded in that fatal over on Tuesday. Batting: Tony Ura 1 (5), Lega Siaka 1 (1)
Papua New Guinea win toss and bat.
Teams:
Afghanistan: Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Nawroz Mangal, Asghar Stanikzai (c), Samiullah Shenwari, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Shafiqullah Shafiq, Mirwais Ashraf, Dawlat Zadran, Shapoor Zadran, Hamid Hassan
Papua New Guinea: Tony Ura, Lega Siaka, Assad Vala, Vani Morea, Mahuru Dai, Charles Amini, Jack Vare (c) (wk), Norman Vanua, Chad Soper, Loa Nou, Willie Gavera
Afghanistan‘s campaign in the ongoing tournament has been colourful and inconsistent. Losses to Oman and, in a remarkable manner, Hong Kong, have them facing elimination in case of another loss. But the coach Andy Moles, admitting his team hadn’t wanted to find themselves in this position, said they have geared up to do the job. ‘We can beat anyone on the day’, he said: today, it will have to be against a side that led the Group A table for a brief while, and have defeated the likes of Ireland and Nepal.
The good news for Afghanistan is that Hamid Hassan, one of their main fast bowlers, is back in the side. Moles mentioned he was seventy percent fit, but he could do the job for his side.
