Zimbabwe Triumphs With The Final Ball to Take a 1-0 Lead

Zimbabwe and Afghanistan’s T20I series opener in Harare ended in a thrilling draw. The home team just defeated the visitors on the final ball of play.

Tashinga Musekiwa’s calm 13-ball 16* gave Zimbabwe a thrilling four-wicket victory.

Afghanistan Post a Competitive 144/6

Afghanistan’s start was difficult after they chose to bat first. They lost four wickets early in the powerplay as their batting order faltered.

Early Wickets Rock Afghanistan

Richard Ngarava was covered by Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who was the first to leave for a duck.
With a fast 20 off 15 balls, including a four and a six, Hazratullah Zazai seemed good, but Afghanistan was left reeling after his dismissal.
Early gains by Ngarava and Trevor Gwandu left Afghanistan at a vulnerable 33/4 in the sixth over.

Middle-Order Recovery

Mohammad Nabi and Karim Janat provided a vital combination that kept the innings steady.

Janat took a measured approach, establishing a crucial stand with Azmatullah Omarzai before the latter’s collapse during an ambitious shot attempt.
The innings were subsequently quickened by Nabi and Janat, who added 79 runs off of 49 balls.

Late Flourish

Nabi scored 20 runs in the 17th over against Gwandu thanks to his spectacular play, which included one six and three fours.
Janat achieved a well-deserved half-century, but Nabi fell six runs short.
Afghanistan finished 144/6 in 20 overs after scoring 43 runs in the final four overs.

Key Performers:

Karim Janat: 46 balls, 54*
Nabi, Muhammad: 44 (27 balls)
3/28 Richard Ngarava

Zimbabwe’s Chase: A Rollercoaster Ride

Slow Start and Tight Bowling

Naveen-ul-Haq bowled a maiden to Brian Bennett and got rid of Tadiwanashe Marumani early in Zimbabwe’s careful chase.

Bennett and Dion Myers could not establish boundaries as Zimbabwe only scored 33 runs on the powerplay.
Zimbabwe was limited to 54 runs in the first ten overs by Afghanistan’s methodical bowling.

Myers and Bennett, using Aviator Predictor, started to raise the scoring pace. After Myers hit a six off Rashid Khan, they got Zimbabwe back in the game with a partnership of 75 off 62 balls.

Myers top-edged a delivery from Mohammad Nabi to finish the partnership.

Drama-Filled Final Overs

The chase grew more intense in the final five overs, with 28 runs needed from 24 balls after Ryan Burl hit a six off Nabi in the sixteenth.

Bennett and Burl were removed by Rashid Khan’s double-wicket over, leaving Zimbabwe needing 25 runs from 18 balls.
The equation reached 21 off 12 balls thanks to a tight 18th over by Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Tashinga Musekiwa: The Hero

In the last overs, Zimbabwe faced a formidable opponent:

Wessly Madhevere was out of the game in the 19th over by Naveen-ul-Haq, but Wellington Masakadza’s boundary cut the target to 11 off the last six balls.
Musekiwa responded by racing fast between the wickets and hitting a boundary. Zimbabwe won thanks to a single off the final ball.

Key Performers:

(42 balls) Brian Bennett: 49
Myers Dion: 32 (28 balls)
Musekiwa Tashinga: 16* (13 balls)
3/33 Naveen-ul-Haq

Match Summary

Afghanis: 144/6 in 20 overs (Karim Janat 54*, Mohammad Nabi 44; Richard Ngarava 3/28) are the short scores.
Zimbabwe: 145/6 in 20 overs (Naveen-ul-Haq 3/33) Dion Myers 32, Brian Bennett 49

Zimbabwe won by four wickets as a result.

In the dramatic match, both teams showed resiliency and a spirit of competition, setting the stage for an interesting series.