Omarzai century trumps Raza's as Afghanistan seal series

Afghanistan 221 for 7 (Omarzai 116, Ijaz Ahmad 52, Evans 2-40) beat Zimbabwe 202 for 5 (Raza 106*, Abdollah 2-34) by 19 runs

Afghanistan were 5 for 4 after four overs in the first innings. They finished on 221 for 7, with Zimbabwe fetching replacement balls as shots kept flying out of Sharjah. Azmatullah Omarzai's 116 off 50 deliveries drove an extraordinary recovery, and despite Sikandar Raza answering with an unbeaten century, Afghanistan won by 19 runs to seal the series 2-0 with a game to spare.

Omarzai and Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai added 142, the highest partnership for the sixth wicket or lower in T20Is, after coming together at 38 for 5. Afghanistan were still on 45 for 5 at halfway before hammering 176 from their last ten overs. Omarzai struck 12 sixes and reached his maiden T20I hundred off 44 balls, while Ijaz followed his fifty in the series opener with 52 off 27.

The bowlers who had ripped through Afghanistan's top order took the heaviest punishment. Brad Evans conceded 27 in his final over, and Kundai Matigimu's last two went for 44. Rashid Khan hit a six-ball unbeaten 25, then became the first bowler to take 200 wickets in men's T20Is. Afghanistan's third-highest total also made them the first men's T20I team to pass 200 after losing their first four wickets for fewer than 20 runs.

Raza gave this thoroughly unusual evening another century, becoming, at 40, the oldest man to score a T20I hundred. He finished on 106 not out off 56 balls and hit the last delivery over the roof, having added an unbroken 120 with debutant Tafadzwa Tsiga. Their stand took Zimbabwe past 200 too, though Afghanistan had established enough cushion to withstand Raza's hitting.

Evans, Matigimu wreak havoc

Evans had Zimbabwe celebrating with his second delivery. Rahmanullah Gurbaz backed away to a full ball on leg stump and toe-ended an attempted loft to Raza at cover. Two legal deliveries later, Mohammad Akram pulled straight to the lone outfielder behind square on the leg side. Both had fallen for ducks.

Zimbabwe's fielders backed up the bowling, diving across the turf to intercept firmly struck shots. Afghanistan had crawled to five when Matigimu came on and struck with his first delivery, Ibrahim Zadran attempted a drive with little footwork and chopped onto his off stump. His second ball took Shahidullah Kamal's outside edge through to Tadiwanashe Marumani for another duck.

Omarzai left the hat-trick ball alone and played out the rest of a double-wicket maiden. Sediqullah Atal briefly got Afghanistan moving with successive pulled fours off Evans, but later charged debutant Vincent Masekesa and edged behind for 17. Omarzai and Ijaz took a little time to settle, then began sending Zimbabwe's bowlers back to their marks with more to think about.

Omarzai goes berserk

Omarzai had 20 off 19 balls at halfway. He pulled Ryan Burl for six in the next over, then opened up against Masekesa, waiting in his crease to launch a flighted delivery straight before rocking back to carve four behind square. Raza paused for a discussion with the debutant between those shots, then experienced the assault himself.

Omarzai hit Raza down the ground for six and thrashed four through the covers to reach his fifty off 31 balls. The next six was even better: he backed away, waited for a flighted delivery and lifted it inside-out over extra cover. The over cost 19, and Matigimu returned to concede another 19 as Omarzai dragged a short ball over long-on and drove a full one over extra cover.

Evans began his final over with figures of 2 for 13 and Omarzai on 75. His first delivery disappeared over square leg, his second over midwicket. A full toss was hammered through the covers, and a ball into the pads was launched over long-on. Omarzai had taken 22 from four deliveries and was one boundary away from a hundred.

He carved the fifth behind point for four to complete his century, then flicked the last delivery for a single with remarkable calm. Afghanistan had taken 65 from three overs. Omarzai eventually holed out to long-off after striking Raza for two more sixes, departing to congratulations from the Zimbabwe captain and a standing ovation from his dugout.

Ijaz, Rashid pile on

Ijaz started his acceleration by pulling a short ball from Burl out of the ground. He swept Raza for four and six, swivelled to help an Ernest Masuku bouncer over fine leg and drove through point. As Omarzai took over, Ijaz spent long stretches watching from the other end, facing eight balls across four overs.

He quickly resumed his own attack against Masuku, hitting four boundaries in five deliveries. Twice he improvised past the keeper, reaching his fifty by moving across and ramping a wide yorker over Marumani's head. Masuku finally ended the record stand with a slower ball, drawing a loft towards long-off, where Tsiga dived forward to complete the catch.

Rashid arrived with two overs remaining and had faced one ball when the last over began. Mujeeb Ur Rahman gave him the strike, and Rashid hit three successive sixes: a short-arm jab over midwicket, a swat over extra cover and a hoick down the ground. A full toss brought a dot as Rashid declined a single. He finished by dragging a wide bouncer over the leg-side boundary, taking Afghanistan to 221. Matigimu's opening over had been a double-wicket maiden; his last cost 25, completing a five-over onslaught worth 103.

Zimbabwe fall short despite Raza ton

Innocent Kaia, promoted to open alongside Brian Bennett, helped Zimbabwe take 16 from Fareed Ahmad's opening over. Omarzai broke through when Kaia top-edged a pull to deep square leg for 25, before Abdollah removed Bennett with a slower ball and bowled Burl with a full delivery that swung in from around the wicket.

Rashid reached 200 wickets when Marumani missed a pull and was trapped lbw in his second over. Fareed then had Wessly Madhevere reverse-sweeping straight to short third, leaving Zimbabwe 82 for 5 at halfway.

Raza and Tsiga then put together their own unbeaten 120-run sixth-wicket stand. Raza reached his fifty with a six over midwicket off Mujeeb, then crouched on his haunches and called for drinks as the heat and humidity took their toll. He kept finding the strength for more, hitting Rashid straight for six and carving him through the covers. Successive sixes off Fareed followed, the second was tipped over the boundary by Akram.

Shahidullah conceded ten in the penultimate over, leaving Zimbabwe needing six sixes from the last. Raza reached his hundred in that over, slog-sweeping Ijaz out of the ground before punching a single and raising his bat towards the applauding dugout. His ninth six, off the final ball, cleared the roof and took Zimbabwe to 202 for 5. It was a suitably extravagant finish to an evening of extraordinary hitting.