NAGPUR, India, CMC – West Indies crashed to a sobering six run defeat against spirited Afghanistan in a low scoring thriller of the T20 World Cup at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium here yesterday.
The Afghans fought doggedly for an historic win and raised their game in dramatic closing moments to hand West Indies their first defeat of the tournament.
Samuel Badree wrecked the top order with three wickets while Andre Russell curbed a middle order rally by taking two wickets as Afghanistan were restricted to 127 for seven in their 20 overs.
But Mohamad Nabi and Rashin Khan with two wickets each restricted the Windies big hitters with spin and forced them to squander an easy run chase.
With West Indies needing 25 runs from 12 balls Carlos Brathwaite smashed a couple sixes and Andre Fletcher who had earlier retired with a tweaked hamstring returned attempting to save the day.
However Nabi bowled a final over that deprived West Indies from accumulating the 10 runs needed and allowed the promising Afghan outfit to bid farewell to the World Cup in triumphant style.
Despite the loss, West Indies who had won their three previous matches, topped Group 1 and will now play either India or Australia in the semi-final in Mumbai.
Badree finished with three for 14 from his four overs as Afghanistan’s innings plunged into chaos at 56 for five after they were sent in by Darren Sammy.
Badree bowled opener Usman Ghani with a googly in the second over of the innings, had Mohammad Shahzad caught at mid-off for 24 by Sulieman Benn and dismissed Asghar Stanikzai for 16 after he skied a ball to Dwayne Bravo at long on.
Najibullah Zadran, promoted to number six in the order, persevered to be unbeaten on 48 off 40 balls with five fours and a six over long-on.
Najibullah added 34 runs for the sixth wicket with Nabi who was caught by Marlon Samuels at mid-off after Marlon Sammy deflected the shot at cover.
Nabi was one of the two scalps claimed by Andre Russell who ended with figures of two for 24 while Benn remained consistent with one for 18 from his four overs.
West Indies, who became Afghanistan’s second Full Member scalp in the tournament, stumbled on the chase, slumping to 38 for the loss of three wickets.
Evin Lewis was tied down on his T20 International debut and posted a duck when he skied Khan to midwicket.
Johnson Charles, hit two sixes and a four, but on 22 he was beaten for pace by a delivery from Hamid Hassan that cut back sharply as Windies trouble began.
Fletcher retired with a hamstring strain and a ball later Samuels was beaten by a googly from Rashid Khan.
Denesh Ramdin and Dwayne Bravo brought the chase back on course with a 41 run stand for the fourth wicket which included plenty of singles.
The fighting Afghans recaptured the momentum when Nabi trapped Bravo for a top score of 28, one of only two Windies batsmen to pass 20.
West Indies suffered another big setback when Russell was run out for seven in the 18th over attempting a second run.
Sammy sent him back but Russell was short as the throw came into Shazad who threw down the none striker’s stumps.
Sammy departed in the next over picking out deep extra cover to leave West Indies 107 for seven.
With Nabi bowling the final over Afghanistan successfully defended the nine runs as Brathwaite, who missed his first two balls, lofted the third for Najibullah Zadran to take a brilliant catch running back.
Fletcher, with a busted hamstring, returned but was unable to help West Indies get the nine runs required from the final two balls as the Afghan players broke out in wild celebrations.
Scoreboard
Afghanistan
Mohammad Shahzad† c Benn b Badree 24
Usman Ghani b Badree 4
Asghar Stanikzai* c Bravo b Badree 16
Gulbadin Naib c Bravo b Sammy 8
Samiullah Shenwari c Sammy b Benn 1
Najibullah Zadran not out 48
Mohammad Nabi c Samuels b Russell 9
Shafiqullah c Fletcher b Russell 4
Rashid Khan not out 6
Extras (lb 2, w 1) 3
Total (7 wickets; 20 overs) 123
Did not bat: Amir Hamza, Hamid Hassan
Fall of wickets 1-8 (Usman Ghani), 2-33 (Mohammad Shahzad), 3-50 (Asghar Stanikzai), 4-52 (Samiullah Shenwari), 5-56 (Gulbadin Naib), 6-90 (Mohammad Nabi), 7-103 (Shafiqullah)
Bowling: Russell 4-0-23-2 -9 (1w),Badree 4-0-14-3, Brathwaite 2-0-21-0,Benn 4-0-18-1, Bravo 4-0-28-0, Sammy 2-0-17-1.
West Indies
J Charles b Hamid Hassan 22
E Lewis c Rashid Khan b Amir Hamza 0
ADS Fletcher retired hurt 10
MN Samuels b Rashid Khan 5
D Ramdin† st †Mohammad Shahzad
b Rashid Khan 18
DJ Bravo lbw b Mohammad Nabi 28
AD Russell run out (Rashid Khan/
†Mohammad Shahzad) 7
DJG Sammy* c Samiullah Shenwari
b Gulbadin Naib 6
CR Brathwaite c Najibullah Zadran
b Mohammad Nabi 13
S Badree not out 2
Extras (lb 1, w 2, nb 2) 5
Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 117
Did not bat: SJ Benn
Fall of wickets 1-17 (Lewis), 2-33 (Charles), 2-34* (Fletcher, retired not out), 3-38 (Samuels), 4-79 (Bravo), 5-89 (Ramdin), 6-98 (Russell), 7-107 (Sammy), 8-114 (Brathwaite)
Bowling: Hamza 4-0-9-1,Nabi 4-0-26-2,Hassan 2.4,0-19-1 (2nb), Khan 4-0-26-2,Shenwari 4-0-22-0(1w), Naib 1.2-0-14-1.
Result: Afghanistan won by six runs
Points: Afghanistan 2, West Indies 0
Player-of-the-match: Najibullah Zadran
Toss:West Indies
Umpires: Aleem Dar, B Oxenford; tv R Kettleborough
