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01/21 13:09 CST Spinner Mujeeb's hat trick earns Afghanistan T20 series win
over West Indies
Spinner Mujeeb's hat trick earns Afghanistan T20 series win over West Indies
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) --- Mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman grabbed a
hat trick as Afghanistan warmed up for next month's T20 World Cup with a
series-clinching 39-run win over the West Indies on Wednesday.
West Indies, which lost the first game by 38 runs, got bowled out for 150 in
18.5 overs. Mujeeb claimed 4-21 and became only the third Afghan bowler after
Rashid Khan and Karim Janat to accomplish a hat trick in T20s.
Earlier, Darwish Rasooli followed his half-century in the first game with 68
off 39 balls and Sediqullah Atal made 53 in Afghanistan's total of 189-4 after
the West Indies won the toss and elected to field.
Mujeeb had Evin Lewis trapped leg before wicket of a quicker ball before he
clean bowled Johnson Charles with a perfect delivery that drifted into the
right-handed batter and the West Indies slumped to 38-3 in eight overs.
Mujeeb waited for his hat trick until he returned for his final over in the
death overs when top-scorer captain Brandon King (50) holed out at long-on and
then finished with a four-wicket haul by clean bowling Quentin Sampson.
"The plan was to keep it simple and hit the stumps," Mujeeb said. "Didn't know
I was on a hat trick and I was just looking to hit the right areas. Good
preparation for us before the World Cup. This win will give us more energy."
The three-match series concludes on Thursday.
Shimron Hetmyer briefly challenged the tall target with his 46 off 17 balls
that featured six sixes before he holed out to sweeper cover while attempting a
big shot against Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-28).
Fast bowler Azmatullah Omarzai claimed 2-20 before Farooqi dismissed No. 11
batter Ramon Simmonds to seal the series for Afghanistan with seven balls to
spare.
Afghanistan opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (1) and Ibrahim Zadran (22)
exited inside the power play, but Rasooli and Atal combined in a 115-run stand
as they dominated both pace and spin.
Atal smacked three sixes and two fours before he holed out to deep square leg
in Matthew Forde's (2-25) return spell and Rasooli fell in the 18th over when
he couldn't clear Alick Athanaze at mid-off.
Omarzai smashed an unbeaten 26 off 13 balls with spinner Gudakesh Motie
returning with expensive figures of 0-54 that included 19 runs of the final
over.
"Hetty (Hetmyer) played a fantastic innings, but after he got out, I had to be
the person finishing it," King said. "The fielding has been a disappointment
but that's something we keep working on."
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
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