Zimbabwe suffer Afghanistan white-ball wipe-out

Zimbabwe – 79 all out in 14.3 overs (Ryan Burl 30, Wessly Madhevere 10, Newman Nyamhuri 9; Noor Ahmad 5/13, Abdullah Tarakhail 2/14, Fazalhaq Farooqi 1/10)

Afghanistan – 81-3 in 8.1 overs (Ibrahim Zadran 25*, Sediqullah Atal 20, Azmatullah Omarzai 18*; Ernest Masuku 2/21, Blessing Muzarabani 1/31)

Afghanistan won by seven wickets

Zimbabwe went down to Afghanistan by seven wickets in the third and final T20 international in Sharjah on Sunday.

Put in to bat, Zimbabwe were dismissed for 79 in 14.3 overs, with left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad claiming five for 13.

Afghanistan reached their target in 8.1 overs to complete a 3-0 series win.

Zimbabwe lost three early wickets before Ryan Burl and Wessly Madhevere steadied the innings with a 43-run partnership.

Innocent Kaia was the first to depart, edging Fazalhaq Farooqi to the wicketkeeper for five in the opening over.

Brian Bennett followed for two at the start of the second, caught at mid-off as he tried to loft Azmatullah Omarzai over the infield.

Captain Sikandar Raza, fresh from his record-breaking century in the second match, also fell for two, miscuing Abdullah Tarakhail to mid-off to leave Zimbabwe on 13 for three.

Burl responded with positive strokeplay, striking five boundaries in his 29-ball innings as he and Madhevere worked to rebuild.

Their partnership took Zimbabwe to 56 before Burl was trapped lbw by Abdollah Ahmadzai for 30.

Noor then took three wickets in four deliveries to leave Zimbabwe on 60 for seven.

Madhevere was stumped for 10 after being beaten by a googly, while Tafadzwa Tsiga edged the next delivery to slip.

After Newman Nyamhuri took a single, Tadiwanashe Marumani was caught at long-off.

Nyamhuri made nine before Noor bowled him as he backed away to cut.

Blessing Muzarabani fell for one, caught at deep third off Tarakhail, before Noor completed his five-wicket haul by trapping Ernest Masuku lbw for six.

Zimbabwe’s final seven wickets fell in the space of 29 deliveries.

Muzarabani provided an early breakthrough in the chase, although Mohammad Akram first struck three fours in a brisk 14 off five balls.

The opener’s attempt to maintain that attacking start ended with a miscued shot to Raza at mid-off.

Sediqullah Atal and Ibrahim Zadran then took Afghanistan to 44 before Masuku struck twice in the fifth over.

Atal was caught by Madhevere at backward point for 20 off 14 deliveries, and two balls later Masuku trapped Noor ul Rahman lbw without scoring.

The double breakthrough briefly checked Afghanistan’s progress, but Zadran and Omarzai guided them home without further loss.

Zadran struck four boundaries in Masuku’s next over, while Omarzai survived a chance behind the stumps off Muzarabani on 11.

Omarzai sealed the result with a six off Vincent Masekesa from the first ball of the ninth over, finishing unbeaten on 18 alongside Zadran on 25.

Masuku returned two for 21 from his two overs, with Muzarabani claiming the other wicket.

After losing in the ODI tri-series against Afghanistan, Zimbabwe have been dominated.

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