Zimbabwe’s Chamu Chibhabha clips one through the leg side in the first T20I against Afghanistan in Bulawayo, yesterday — AFP
Mehluli Sibanda at Queens Sports Club
AS if the embarrassing one-day international cricket series defeat to Afghanistan was not enough, Zimbabwe fell to the same opponents by six wickets in the first Twenty20 International at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo yesterday.
Aided by half centuries from openers Sikandar Raza and Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Zimbabwe posted 153 runs for five wickets in their 20 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.
That target, however, proved inadequate to challenge Afghanistan, who cruised to victory for the loss of just four wickets with five balls to spare.
There were valuable contributions down the order by Najibullah Zadran, who made 37 runs and Mohammad Nabi (33), in a 69-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Zimbabwe openers Raza and Chibhabha gave the home side a terrific start, scoring 58 runs in the first six overs of fielding restrictions.
Raza reached his maiden T20I 50 in 31 deliveries with five fours and one six. Chibhabha, on 34 runs, offered a chance only for wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad and Amir Hamza to disturb each other and the ball fell to safety.
Zimbabwe lost Raza with 100 runs on the board, caught and bowled by Khan after making 59 runs from 40 balls in an innings comprising five fours and one six.
Chibhabha got to his fifth T20I 50 off 42 balls with six fours. He added four more runs prior to being clean bowled by Dawlat Zadran to bring an end to an innings that lasted 47 balls.
Sean Williams went for a costly 16 runs off 18 balls, his off stump uprooted by Zadran, who struck again with the next ball, bowling Craig Ervine for a duck. Malcolm Waller edged the hat trick ball for a boundary.
Skipper Elton Chigumbura departed in the first ball of the last over for 12, dismissed by off-spinner Nabi, who had him caught by Gulbadin Naib. Richmond Mutumbami slammed the last ball of Nabi’s delivery for a six to take Zimbabwe past the 150-run mark.
Zadran, who was named man-of-the-match finished with three wickets for 29 runs in four overs at 7.25 runs per over, while Khan had one wicket for 20 runs off four overs.
Needing 7.7 runs per over, Afghanistan’s opening pair of Shahzad and Usman Ghani kept them on course with 48 runs in the first six overs of the innings.
Left arm spinner Tendai Chisoro found the breakthrough when he had Shahzad caught by Ervine for 34 runs.
Ghani followed in the next over for 13 runs, bowled by Wellington Masakadza.
Afghanistan were 82/3 when skipper Asghar Stanikzai was run out by Christopher Mpofu.
Three runs later, Williams had Karim Sadeq caught behind by Mutumbami. Just as Zimbabwe thought they were back in the game, Najibullah Zadran and Nabi took the match away.
The pair took 14 runs off Masakadza’s last over to take Afghanistan to within 25 runs of victory.
Afghanistan required six runs to win in the last over bowled by Mpofu.
Zadran smashed the first ball of the over for a six to seal victory for the visitors.
Chigumbura seemed to suggest that Williams was largely to blame for the defeat because of the number of deliveries the left-handed batsman wasted while at the crease.
The two teams meet in the second T20I at the same venue tomorrow.