Afghanistan ‘A’ crown themselves new champions

Monday, 28 October 2024 03:18 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup final
Sri Lanka ‘A’ beaten by seven wickets

The winning moment for Afghanistan ‘A’. Sediqullah Atal (right) celebrates with Mohammad Ishaq

Sahan Arachchige, who played a lone hand, celebrates his 50

The sixth edition of the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup produced a new winner when Afghanistan ‘A’ beat two-time winners Sri Lanka ‘A’ by seven wickets to win the final played at the Al Amerat cricket ground in Oman yesterday.

The final was all Afghanistan ‘A’ as they kept Sri Lanka ‘A’ down to a small total of 133-7 with some exceptional bowling in the powerplay, and guided by the tournament’s leading run-scorer Sediqullah Atal (55* off 55 balls, 3 fours, 1 six), hunted down the total quite comfortably, scoring 134-3 to win with 11 balls to spare.

There was little the Lankan bowlers could do to defend such a small total against Afghanistan’s powerful batting line up that had racked up the tournament’s highest total – 206-4 in the semi-final against India ‘A’.

Afghanistan ‘A’ lost an early wicket – that of Zubaid Akbari – to the first ball of their innings, but Sediqullah held up one end to allow his Captain Darwish Rasooli (24 off 20 balls) and Karim Janat (33 off 27, 3 sixes) to score freely from the other, and take his team home. Sri Lanka ‘A’ recovered from a disastrous start 24-4 in the first powerplay to post a decent score of 133-7 courtesy two good partnerships that unfortunately ended in

run outs.

Sahan Arachchige held the innings together with a fighting knock of 64* off 47 balls (6 fours). He was involved in two face-saving stands of 50 with Pavan Rathnayake (20) and 42 with Nimesh Vimukthi (23).

Sri Lanka ‘A’s top order was rattled by the off-breaks of Mohammad Ghazanfar and seamer Bilal Sami, who took two wickets apiece in the powerplay after they had won the toss and decided to bat first.

Sri Lanka ‘A’ also lost to Afghanistan ‘A’ in their group match by 11 runs.

The past five editions of this tournament were played in the 50-over format that saw Sri Lanka ‘A’ win twice in 2017 and 2018, India, the inaugural one in 2013, and Pakistan ‘A’ twice in 2019 and 2023.

Scores:

Sri Lanka ‘A’ 133-7 (20) (Pavan Rathnayake 20, Sahan Arachchige 64*, Nimesh Vimukthi 23, Mohammad Ghazanfar 2/14, Bilal Sami 3/22)

Afghanistan ‘A’ 134-3 (18.1) (Sediqullah Atal 55*, Darwish Rasooli 24, Karim Janat 33)