(Two associate nations look for consolation win as Bangladesh look certain to clear through for the main draw.)
Sompal comes to bowl the last over. Stankizai smashes the first ball and Gyranendra Malla cannot field it. Action replay off the second ball as Malla misfields again. Stanikzai has a cramp and after a brief drink, he gets back up. The third ball is hit for two through the leg-side as he didn’t get all of it. The fourth ball is hit between long-on and mid-wicket for a four. And Stanikzai is out as he tries to loft over the top. And they finish with a dot. Nepal have won.
OUT! Stanikzai 49(36)
Mukhiya to bowl this over and he gets a good yorker first up. Stanikzai manages a single past mid-wicket. He gets it in the blockhole again and there is only a single available for Shenwari. The third ball is full and outside the off-stump. Stanikzai can only get a single. Shenwari then charges and tries to hit a full toss but hits it straight in the air. Khadka runs across and is caught. Now, 24 required off the last over.
OUT! Shenwari 15(13)
Sompal comes in and he bowls it in the blockhole, but Shenwari gets an inside edge, which goes fine for four. Shenwari then pulls one across the line, but is well stopped at the boundary.
Jitendra Mukhiya comes back into the attack after some spin. He bowls a good yorker first up and Stanikzai can only keep it out. Stanikzai is trying to smash it and gets an outside edge, which just evades the point fielder. Mukhiya does well to get most of the deliveries in the right areas. Afghanistan still searching for those big shots.
Pun continues to keep it very tight and isn’t giving anything. Shenwari tries to reverse sweep, but it only hits his body. There are only four runs off it.
Shafiqullah is out! He tries to cut Basant Regmi but is taken at point. That is a big wicket here. Now in the centre, you have Samiullah Shenwari and Stanikzai, two men who did exceptionally well in their victory against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup. Stanikzai then cuts it behind point and gets a double. But, Nepal are building the pressure. And he gets another brace as the fielder at cover misfields.
OUT! Shafiqullah 36(32)
Pun continues to bowl and the batsmen only work the singles. This has been a good partnership so far as they have been sensible in their approach. But, this is also a good over for Nepal. Only three runs off it!!
Gauchan is now being hit around after his initial burst. Shafiqullah smashes it over square-leg for six and then Stanikzai hits it straight over the bowler’s head for a four.
Sagar Pun comes into the attack and he keeps things tight. He concedes only three off the over. The pressure is building on Afghanistan here and they have to approach it well. They need a balance between caution and aggression.
Gauchan continues and that invites Stanikzai down the ground and he carts it high over long on for six. That should relieve the pressure a touch! Where did that come from?
Asghar Stanikzai is the new man. Shafiqullah gets a single off the first ball. Stanikzai gets off the mark with a push through the leg-side.
Shakti Gauchan comes into the attack and he gets a wicket! Mangal tries to sweep, but gets a top-edge and is brilliantly taken by Khadka. Nabi is the new man in the middle. Gauchan then gets an arm-ball into Shafiqullah, and he could only keep it out. Meanwhile, the fifty is up! But wait a minute! Mohammad Nabi is given out leg before. A tough decision. Gauchan hit him on the pads and it looked like it was going down the leg-side, but is given out leg-before.
OUT! Mangal 5(7) Nabi 1(2)
Khadka continues. Mangal comes on strike and cuts it just above the point fielder and it goes for a four. That was quite well controlled. Some of these boundaries have released the pressure for Afghanistan.
Shafiqullah gets a few runs here. He first cuts one very late behind point for four. And then moves across his stumps and paddles it fine for four. And then he cuts another one through point for four. Regmi can only watch.And Khakhurel misses a stumping opportunity. Mangal charges and misses. It goes for four byes, adding insult to injury!
Paras Khadka comes into the attack to bowl his medium pacers. Shafiqullah isn’t able to score runs off the first three balls, but then works one to third-man for a single. Mangal also gets off the mark with a single.
Shahzad is gone!! He tries to go over the top and upper cuts it straight to third-man. Big breakthrough for Nepal. Shahzad could take the game away from you! And, would you believe it? N Zadran tries to smash the next ball over the infield and is caught at mid-on. Mukhiya gets ready for the hat-trick ball and Shafiqullah plays it back. It was a bit uppish but safe. Now it is up to Nawroz Mangal, one of the important batsmen in this team.
OUT! Shahzad 6(17) N Zadran 594)
Sadiq loses his stumps. He charges to Sompal and is bowled. Najibullah Zadran is the new batsman in the centre. And he is off the mark immediately as he works Sompal through the leg-side. For the left-hander, Sompal has decided to come from round the wicket. Zadran then gets one over mid-off for four.
OUT! Sadiq 8(7)
Mukhiya comes on to bowl and the third ball is pulled with power by Shahzad through mid-wicket for a four. It was interesting to see that as he got one foot off the ground.
Sompal starts off from the other end. And he is right on the money as he only gives one run in the over. Sadiq tried to charge him once, but only managed to inside edge it onto his body.
Karim Sadiq hits his first delivery for four as he charges to the pitch of the ball and smashes it past the bowler for four. Basant Regmi starts off with his left-arm spin and he also concedes another four.
Naresh Budayir lofts it high over mid-on, but it falls in no man’s land as they take a single. Bhandari then sweeps Nabi behind square for a four. He tries to repear the same shots, but then there are two dot balls. He then gets one run off the last ball. That is the end of the innings. Nepal have scored 141. Afghanistan will have to score 142.
Khakhurel lofts the first ball and is caught brilliantly by Asghar Stanikzai. Vesawkar gets a boundary off the next ball, but then Shapoor Zadran dismisses him as he top edges. He has bowled a very good over as there are two wickets in this over and a few dots. This has helped Afghanistan hit back.
OUT! Khakhurel 56(53) Vesawkar 37(32)
Mirwais Ashraf is the new bowler. He bowls a very good over. Taking pace off the ball, and targetting the blockhole, he gets it right. Khakhurel does manage to pull one through square-leg, but can only take two as if fielded brilliantly.
Nabi brings back his fast bowler Dawlat Zadran. The first ball is lofted over the off-side for a couple by Khakhurel. And then, he lofts him over mid-off four a four. Khakhurel then gets his fifty as he smashes the last ball through point for a four.
Vesawkar charges to Nabi and gets an edge through the vacant slip region. The fielder puts in a desperate dive, but it goes through for four. There is pressure on Afghanistan, as there is also a misfield. Later, Vesawkar smashes a half volley through long-off for a four. Vesawkar then pulls the last ball through mid-wicket for a four.
Shenwari comes in and bowls a no ball first up. There is a free hit, but Khakhurel can only get two runs off it as he lofts it over the off-side. Khakhurel then walks across the crease and sweeps it over fine-leg for a six. The fielder was there, but it goes sway over his head. He then gets an outside edge and it flies between point and short third-man for a four. Shenwari then bowls one down the off-side and Khakhurel tries to chase it, but misses and is given a wide.
Sadiq continues and Vesawkar gets a single off the first ball. Sadiq comes from round the wicket and hurls successive wides. He then switches to over the wicket and is then lofted by Khakhurel over mid-off for a four.
Samiullah Shenwari is back in the attack. Remember he was smashed around by Malla. The two batsmen here are only able to work a few singles in the over and that was it. A better over for Shenwari.
Karim Sadiq is the new bowler and he hones his off-spinners. Vesawkar isn’t able to get the ball through the field too many times and has consumed many deliveries. But ultimately, he breaks the shackles by lofting one over the bowler’s head for a four.
Ashraf continues to bowl. Only three singles off the over. Nepal have been dented by those wickets.
Khakhurel takes a single off the first ball and then Vesawkar faces Nabi. He isn’t able to take his first runs as Nabi keeps him in check. Vesawkar gets off the mark at last as he pushes the last ball through long-off.
Ashraf continues and Khadka gets ready to face his first ball. He gets off the mark off the fourth ball as he dabs it near the crease and Khakhurel calls him. Khakhurel pushes the fifth ball through the covers for a single. And Khadka is gone! He tries to loft Ashraf over mid-wicket, but is bowled.
OUT! Khadka 1(5)
Mohammad Nabi brings himself on and the first ball is worked through the on-side for a single. Malla is then out as he tries to reverse sweep, but gets a top-edge and is caught by Nawroz Mangal at short third-man. Paras Khadka is the new man at the crease.
OUT! Malla 22(13)
Mirwais Ashraf is the new bowler and he will take some pace off the ball. He isn’t as fast as the two Zadran’s. Khakhurel works the second ball for a single and lets Malla get on strike. Malla drives the last ball through the covers but is fielded well by Shafiqullah.
Samiullah Shenwari is the new bowler and is welcomed into the attack with a graceful drive through the covers for four. Malla then goes over the top and Mohammad Nabi tries to jump and take it, but it misses him. The fifth ball is then pulled by Malla over mid-on for a four. And Malla finishes it in style as he lofts the last ball for a six over mid on. What a start for him! This over has gone for 18.
Zadran continues and is keeps a check on the scoring early on. Khakhurel tries too many things while at the crease, but then, Zadran bowls it in the slot and Khakhurel pulls it over mid-wicket for a four. The last ball is then smashed behind the bowler for four. It nearly hit the umpire. Meanwhile, Gyanendra Malla is the new man.
Zadran overpitches and it is a no ball. Khakhurel gets the free hit and he tries to smash it over the top, but is caught by Karim Sadiq. No damage done there as it is a free hit. And then, Pun gets out as he tries to loft him over mid-off, but is caught by Nabi.
Zadran continues and there are only two singles off the over. And then, Khakhurel tries to loft it and it falls between cover and mid-off.
Dawlat Zadran starts off from the other end and concedes two off the first ball. Khakhurel edges the fourth ball to third-man and it goes to the fielder on the first bounce. And Pun gets the first boundary as he lofts the ball over the infield on the off-side and it goes for four.
Shapoor Zadran, the left-arm medium pacer to start proceedings. He hits Khakhurel on the pads first up, before being worked to third-man for a single. Sagar Pun also gets off the mark and Nepal have started off at Chittagong. At the end of first over, they are three.
Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi (c), Dawlat Zadran, Karim Sadiq, Mohammad Shahzad(wk), Samiullah Shenwari, Shapoor Zadran, Asghar Stanikzai, Mirwais Ashraf, Nawroz Mangal, Shafiqullah Shafiq.
The news we are getting is that Afghanistan have chosen to bowl first after winning the toss. They have made a few changes to their side. We will be bringing them to you shortly.
Hello and welcome to the live updates of the Afghanistan vs Nepal clash ICC World T20 2014 Group A Qualifier match at Chittagong. I am Nishad Pai Vaidya and i will be bringing you the live updates of the match.
The Afghans are coming off from an impressive win over Hong Kong as they beat them by seven wickets on Tuesday to keep their hopes alive in the T20 World Cup . On the other hand, Nepal, who had thrashed Hong Kong by 80 runs, lost heavily to the hosts Bangladesh in the clash at Chittagong. Afghanistan will fancy a big win as Nepal haven’t clicked as a unit, and their over-dependence on their captain Paras Khadka would certainly be an area where they would like to exploit.
The limelight will once again be on the Afghan Mohammad Shahzad who scored a sparkling half-century in their win over Hong Kong.
Squads:
Afghanistan: Mohammad Nabi (c), Karim Sadiq, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Asghar Stanikzai, Nawroz Mangal, Samiullah Shenwari, Najibullah Zadran, Mirwais Ashraf, Shapoor Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Najeeb Tarakai, Dawlat Zadran , Aftab Alam, Hamza Hotak, Shafiqullah.
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