Afghanistan beat West Indies by 29 runs in warm-up match

Lahore : Fast bowler Dawlat Zadran took a hat-trick as Afghanistan came from behind to beat two-time former world champions Windies by 29 runs in an ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 warm-up match at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday. 

Zadran claimed the wickets of Shimron Hetmyer (caught at gully by Najibullah Zadran), Rovman Powell (caught at the wicket by Mohammad Shahzad) and Carlos Brathwaite (lbw) on successive deliveries of his fifth over as the Windies, chasing a revised target of 140 in 35 overs by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method, slipped from 99 for five in the 20^th over to 99 for eight before being bowled out for 110 in 26.4 overs.

Zadran, who had earlier accounted for Shai Hope, finished with outstanding figures of 7-1-26-4. Left-arm spinner Sharafuddin Ashraf and wrist-spinner Rashid Khan picked up two wickets apiece, while Mohammad Nabi and Shahpoor Zadran bagged a wicket each.

For the Windies, Evin Lewis was the top scorer with 36, while Marlon Samuels scored 34. Chris Gayle (9), Shai Hope (1), Jason Mohammed (0), Hetmyer (1) and Powell (9) all missed out on useful batting practice on a good surface.

Earlier, a rain-break helped Afghanistan to recover from a precarious 82 for eight in 25.4 overs to a competitive 163 for nine in 35 overs. When play resumed, Gulbadin Naib and Samiullah Shenwari came out all guns blazing and added 81 runs in the remaining 9.2 overs to give their bowlers with something to bowl at.

Gulbadin Naib hit a 38-ball 48 with three fours and two sixes, while Samiullah Shenwari returned not out on 42 from 55 balls. For the Windies, fast bowlers Sheldon Cottrell, captain Jason Holder and Kesrick Williams bowled with a lot of aggression and fire to share seven wickets between them.