Harare, Dec 21 Teenage spinner AM Ghazanfar's impressive bowling figures of 5-33 propelled Afghanistan to defeat Zimbabwe by eight wickets in third ODI at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday to clinch a 2-0 series win. It’s also the sixth successive time Afghanistan have got an ODI series win over Zimbabwe.
Electing to field first, Afghanistan ran through Zimbabwe’s fragile batting line-up to skittle them for 127 in 30.1 overs. Ghazanfar, 18, bowled his quota of overs unchanged to torment Zimbabwe and picked his second ODI five-wicket haul in just 11 matches.
Providing ample support to Player of the Match Ghazanfar was premier leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who took 3-38. For Zimbabwe, the veteran Sean Williams top scored with 60 off 61 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes and be the long ranger for the hosts’ with the bat.
In reply, Afghanistan completed the chase in 26.5 overs, despite losing two wickets. Opener Sediqullah Atal scored 52 off 50 balls, laced with four fours and two sixes, after having scored 104 in the second ODI.
He shared an 84-run opening stand with Abdul Malik (29) before Rahmat Shah (17 not out) and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (20 not out) finished off the chase well. Atal was also bestowed with the Player of the Series award in Afghanistan’s emphatic series triumph after first ODI was washed out due to rain.
Zimbabwe and Afghanistan will now play a two-match Test series starting in Bulawayo on Thursday. The match will also be Zimbabwe’s first Boxing Day Test at home since playing a rain-hit draw against England in 1996.
Brief Scores: Zimbabwe 127/10 (Sean Williams 60; AM Ghazanfar 5-33, Rashid Khan 3-38) lost to Afghanistan 131 /2 (Sediqullah Atal 52; Trevor Gwandu 1-27, Richard Ngarava 1-32) by eight wickets
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