AFG vs ZIM Ball by Ball Commentary

No run, the batter has just watchfully blocked this out.

FOUR! Newman Nyamhuri makes full use of the Free Hit! Shortish ball around off, Nyamhuri clears his front leg and smacks it through the extra cover region for a boundary.

NO BALL! Abdollah Ahmadzai apologizes immediately to the batter. Good sportsmanship from the bowler. Ahmadzai bowls a beamer, Newman looks to duck but gets hit on the body. Ahmadzai goes immediately to the batter and shakes hands. No Ball give and a free hit wil follow.

Fullish ball on the middle stump line, Newman covers the line of the delivery and defends it onto the pitch.

On a length ball on off, Newman Nyamhuri defends it to the off side.

WIDE! Another delivery down the leg side from Ahmadzai, Newman looks to swing it away but misses. The umpire signals it a wide.

WIDE! Full ball down the leg side, Nyamhuri looks to flick but misses. Wide given.

OUT! TAKEN! No hat-trick but Noor Ahmad gets three in the over. He gives this one some more air, full and on middle and leg. Tadiwanashe Marumani gets his front foot out and tries to go big down the ground but gets no timing at all. It flies wide of long off, where Azmatullah Omarzai runs a long way to his left and dives to take a fantastic catch. Sediqullah Atal takes the celebrations up a notch, giving Noor a cheeky wrestling-style suplex. Noor hits the deck, but thankfully, it's all smiles and no harm done.

No hat-trick! Short and around off, Newman Nyamhuri stays back and punches it through cover-point for one.

OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Two in two for Noor Ahmad, and this is another excellent delivery. He tosses it up, full and on middle, just turn away a shy bit, and that is enough to deceive the batter. Tafadzwa Tsiga gets stuck in his crease and offers an angled bat to work it across the line, but gets an outside edge towards first slip, where Ibrahim Zadran takes a sharp catch. Zimbabwe are reeling at 59/6 now.

OUT! STUMPED! Noor Ahmad picks up his first wicket with an absolute beauty. He dishes out a googly, full and on off, turning it away sharply. Wessly Madhevere gets drawn forward to push it away, but the ball spins past the outside edge. He also has to reach out in front and drags his back foot out of the crease. Noor ul Rahman collects and breaks the stumps quickly, with Madhevere never making his home back. Zimbabwe lose half their side now.

Flatter, full and around off, Wessly Madhevere goes down for the reverse sweep, but gets nowhere near the ball and makes no contact.

Shorter in length and outside off, Tadiwanashe Marumani tries to cut but chops it down to point for a single.

WIDE! Floated, full and on middle and leg, turns in a bit. Tadiwanashe Marumani looks to flick it away but misses. He loses his balance for a split second, and Noor ul Rahman breaks the stumps, but TM is safe.

On a length ball on off, Tadiwanashe Marumani taps it to the point region and takes a single to get off the mark.

OUT! LBW! Zimbabwe have lost a big wicket as Ryan Burl had started to look really good in the middle. He goes for 30, and Zimbabwe are now 56 for 4. Omarzai bowls a fuller delivery, angled in. Ryan Burl looks to flick it to the leg side but misses and gets hit on the pads. The Afghanistan players appeal, and the finger goes up. Rashid Khan must be a really happy man, as his attempt to make Burl lose his concentration has worked in his side's favour.

Slower ball on off, Burl looks to push it to the off side, it takes the inside half of the bat and goes back to the bowler.

EDGED AND FOUR! Streaky boundary, but Zimbabwe will take it! Fullish ball outside off, Burl looks to drive, but it takes the outside edge and goes towards the third man region for a boundary.

Excellent fielding! Full ball outside off, Burl creams it through the extra cover region. The fielder rushes to his left from deep cover and makes a diving stop to mop it up. Two runs taken.

Shortish ball on middle, Wesley drags it down to long on and crosses ends for a single.

Dragged back, outside off, Ryan Burl reaches out and stabs it out to extra cover.

Play and a miss! Rashid Khan floats it up, full and on off, turns in a bit. Ryan Burl gets down on one knee for the slog sweep but fails to connect. A few words are exchanged between Rashid and Burl, and it does not look like friendly banter. Things are getting heated here as the umpire has to step in between them.

Slows it up, shortish and on off, turns away a bit. Wessly Madhevere looks to work it across the line but gets a leading edge that flies safely through point for a single.

Fires one, full and around leg, Ryan Burl misses his flick as the ball goes off his pads towards square leg for a leg bye.

Big shout for LBW, but turned down! Rashid Khan bowls this flatter, full and on middle, Ryan Burl goes down and across for the reverse sweep but misses and gets hit on the pads. Rashid cannot believe that the umpire has not raised his finger, and it looked very close too. No DRS in this series, so he can do nothing about it.

Tossed up, full and around middle, Ryan Burl slogs it away between long on and deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs.

Full ball on middle, Madhevere flicks it to deep mid-wicket and takes a couple.

PLAY AND A MISS! Flatter ball outside off, Madhevere looks to cut but misses it completely.

Well bowled by Noor! Slower ball around middle and leg, Burl looks to reverse sweep, but misses. The keeper misses it as well, and the ball goes towards short fine leg, and the batters cross for a bye.

SWING AND A MISS! Loopy ball outside off, Burl looks to smack it down the ground but misses it completely.

Another tossed up ball on middle, Madhevere sweeps it to deep square leg for a single.

Noor starts with a tossed-up ball on middle, Wessly Madhevere pushes it to cover.

Shorter in length, around leg, Wessly Madhevere tucks it away through square leg for a run.

Another wrong'un, shortish and on middle, turns in sharply. Wessly Madhevere gets stuck in his crease and tries to work it across the line but misses and gets hit on the pads.

Flighted, full and on middle and off. Wessly Madhevere gets low and reverse sweeps it but straight to short third.

Drags his length back and on middle, Wessly Madhevere moves back and flicks it towards deep mid-wicket for a brace.

A googly now, short again and on off, turns away. Ryan Burl stays back and nudges it through mid-wicket for a single.

Floated, short and on middle, turns in. Ryan Burl looks to clip it across the line but gets an inside edge onto his pads.

Tarakhail bowls this outside off, Madhevere pushes it to the off side. That is the end of the Powerplay and Zimbabwe are 37 for 3.

Full ball on middle, Burl pushes it down to long on for a single.

WIDE! Tarakhail goes short but over Burl's head. Ryan leaves it alone, and another wide is called by the umpire.

FOUR! SMACKED! Second boundary of the over. Short ball on off, Burl stands tall and pulls it to the deep mid-wicket region for another boundary.

WIDE! Tarakhail goes wide but it is outside the tramline on off, Burl lets it go and the umpire signals it a wide.

Another dot ball. Full ball on off, Burl drives it but does not place it well as it goes towards mid off.

Much better from Tarakhail. Good-length ball on middle, Burl defends it back to the bowler.

FOUR! Much-needed for Zimbabwe! Shortish ball into the body of Ryan Burl. The left-hander just swats it to the right of short fine leg for a boundary. Good start to the sixth over for Zimbabwe.

Honing in on the off pole, on a good length. Burl drives it on the up in front of mid off and hurries to the other end.

FOUR! Nearly went the distance. Off-cutter by Omarzai, fuller as well, on middle. Burl picks up the change of pace and waits for the ball to arrive. He holds his shape and tonks it back over the bowler's head. One bounce and over the ropes.

FOUR! Streaky, but they all count. Moving away a touch off the seam, on a good length. Burl has a big swing at it, looking to smoke it down the ground. Gets an outside edge and it races past the short third fielder for a four.

Slanting in at the hips. Madhevere nurdles it square on the leg side and gets to the other end.

Angled in on a good length, on middle. The ball is not full enough but Burl tries to swat it away on the leg side. Gets it off the toe end of the blade to the right of mid-wicket. Abdullah Tarakhail moves to his right to make the stop but parries it away from the incoming mid on fielder, allowing a single.

On top of off, Burl stands tall on top of the bounce and punches it to cover-point.

Fullish ball on off, Madhevere pushes it to the off side. Excellent start from the youngster. Just 2 runs and a wicket from the over.

Another short ball from Tarakhailm Madhevere attempts a swing but connects with thin air.

Fullish ball around the off-stump line; Burl looks to flick but misses. It hits his pads and goes to the off side. Burl takes a leg bye. Afghanistan appeal for LBW, but the umpire denies it

On a length ball on off, Madhevere digs it out to the point region and takes a single.

OUT! CAUGHT! The Zimbabwe Skipper, Sikandar Raza, has to go! Zimbabwe are sliding further into trouble as Tarakhail gets his first wicket of the game. This is his first wicket in international cricket. What a proud moment for him. Good-length ball on off, Raza looks to swing it away, but has to reach out for it and does not time it well. It goes straight up in the air towards the mid off region, where Ibrahim Zadran settles under it and takes a simple catch. Zimbabwe lose their third wicket for just 13.

SWING AND A MISS! Tarakhail has a slingy action and starts with a good-length ball outside off, Raza looks to swing it away but misses

Attacking the sticks, on a length. Raza has a swing at it but mishits it off the inner half through square leg for a single.

Takes pace off and bowls it full, on off. Burl extends his hands and crunches the drive wide of mid off, where Rashid Khan slides to his right and keeps the batters down to a single.

A flash and a miss! In the channel, on the fuller side. Burl stays rooted to the crease and tries to force it through the off side but can only connect with thin air.

Delivers it on a length, on off. Burl eases it to cover.

A huge shout for LBW, but turned down. There were two noises, but it has been given as a leg bye. Curving back in the air, on a good length, on middle and leg. Raza has a swipe across the line but is undone by the ball tailing back in. The ball brushes his front pad before pinging him on the back pad. A leg bye is taken as the ball drops on the leg side.

Moving away in the air, on a good length. Raza brings his bat out in front and knocks it back to the bowler.

A RUN-OUT CHANCE MISSED! That could have easily been another wicket. Good-length ball on off, Raza pushes it to the point region and takes off for a single. The fielder comes running in and throws it at the keeper's end but misses. Ryan Burl was not even in the picture. It would have been curtains for him if the ball had hit the stumps. Another successful over for Afghanistan, though, as only two runs and a wicket came from the over.

Omarzai goes a little short this time. Raza stands on his back foot and defends it to the off side. Just a single and a wicket off the first 5 balls. Can Omarzai end it well?

Azmatullah Omarzai goes full again on middle, Raza pushes it back to the bowler.

Ryan Burl is off the mark! Another full delivery from Omarzai, Burl flicks it to the left of mid on and takes a quick single to get off the mark.

Lovely bowling from Omarzai. He comes around the wicket and bowls a full delivery outside off, Ryan Burl looks to crash it to the off side but misses it completely.

OUT! CAUGHT! Another one bites the dust! Afghanistan are off to a dream start. Brian Bennett has to go back. Azmatullah Omarzai starts off with a full delivery outside off. Bennett looks to go over mid off but does not move his feet at all, just like Kaia before him. The ball goes off the bottom half towards mid off where the Afghanistan skipper, Ibrahim Zadran, takes a good diving catch to his right. Zimbabwe are 8 for 2.

OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Fazalhaq Farooqi strikes early for Afghanistan. This is pushed across the right-hander, on a length. Kaia does not move his feet at all and has a tentative prod at the ball. The ball leaves him with the angle and grazes the outside edge before the keeper, Noor ul Rahman, gobbles it up. Zimbabwe are 8/1 after the first over.

Takes pace off and floats it up, on off. Kaia springs onto the front foot and tries to go back over the bowler's head. Gets an outside edge and it dribbles down to backward point.

A hint of an inward shape, full and on off. Bennett plays a punchy drive to the left of mid off and takes a single.

Moving away in the air, on a length. Kaia looks to defend it from the crease. It squirts off the outer half down to deep third for a single.

FOUR! Nearly dragged it back onto the stumps. Farooqi gets the ball to hoop back into the right-hander, it is a low full toss. Kaia does not move his feet much and pushes at the ball. It curves back in to catch the inside edge and sneaks past the stumps before racing down to the deep fine leg fence. Innocent is off the mark in a streaky fashion.

DROPPED! That should have been taken. Brian Bennett gets an early reprieve. Fuller in length by Farqooqi, going across. Bennett reaches out and goes hard on the drive. Slices it off the outer half towards backward point, where Azmatullah Omarzai stays side on and gets on his knees to take the catch to his right but it hits his palm and drops to the ground. They cross.

A bit of movement first up for Farooqi. Steams in from over the wicket and this is pushed across the right-hander on a good length. It drifts beyond the tramline as Bennett fishes at the ball away from his body and is beaten past the outside edge. Zimbabwe are underway.