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AFG A vs HK Highlights: Nizakat Khan And Babar Compose Hong Kong Win After Anas Khan's Six-Fer

Aakash Saini

Hong Kong stunned Afghanistan A in Emerging Asia Cup [Source: @CricketHK/x]Hong Kong stunned Afghanistan A in Emerging Asia Cup [Source: @CricketHK/x]

Hong Kong stunned Afghanistan A in a clinical run-chase in match number nine of the 2024 ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground.

Here’s the timeline of how AFG A vs HK panned out in Al Amerat:

AFG A vs HK Highlights: Sediqullah Atal’s 52 Overcomes Early Setback For AFG A

Winning the toss and opting to bat first, Afghanistan A lost opener Wafiullah Tarakhil for a two-ball duck to Hong Kong paceman Ayush Shukla. Tarakhil’s opening partner Sediqullah Atal overcame Afghanistan A’s early setback by stabilizing the innings with wicketkeeper Numan Shah. Both Atal and Shah shared 49 runs together for the second wicket to take their team past the 50-run mark until the latter was knocked over by Ateeq Iqbal.

Atal remained defiant in his approach, as he went on to launch two boundaries and two sixes in his fluent 41-ball half-century.

AFG A vs HK Highlights: Anas Khan Takes Six, As AFG A Lose 8-37 In 39 Balls

With Afghanistan A reaching a commanding 94-2 in 13.2 overs, Hong Kong spinner Anas Khan initiated a collapse for the ages by taking six wickets in just his 3.5-over spell. The cricketer picked up career-best T20 figures of 6-12, and his astonishing piece of play included the prized-scalps of half-centurion Sediqullah Atal, captain Darwish Rasooli as well as Afghanistan’s international star Karim Janat.

Anas Khan’s six-wicket burst towards the end enveloped Afghanistan A’s entire innings for just 131 in 19.5 overs, as they lost their final eight wickets at an expense of just 37 runs in 39 deliveries.

AFG A vs HK Highlights: Nizakat Khan Defies Abdul Rahman’s New Ball Blitz

Afghanistan A fast bowler Abdul Rahman removed both Hong Kong openers, Anshy Rath and Zeeshan Ali, within the first four overs to prompt an early arrival of captain Nizakat Khan and middle-order batter Babar Hayat to the crease.

Both Nizakat and Babar led Hong Kong’s counterattacking response with exquisite and calculated stroke-play to steer them past the 50-run mark in 10 overs without further casualty. Thereafter, the two cricketers picked up the run-scoring pace to keep up with the asking rate as Hong Kong inched closer towards Afghanistan’s total.

AFG A vs HK Highlights: Qais Ahmad And Rahman Strike Late, But HK Clinch Thriller

Hong Kong middle-order batters Nizakat Khan and Babar Hayat ended up sharing 93 runs together for the third wicket to take their team past the 100-run mark. Nizakat top-scored in the innings by smacking 61 runs from 53 balls with two boundaries and three sixes, while Babar chipped in with a near run-a-ball 39 until both were dismissed in the space of just three deliveries by Qais Ahmed.

Abdul Rahman, after his opening blitz, also added third wicket to his tally to claim figures of 3-17 as Afghanistan A sniffed possibility of a close victory. However, Martin Coetzee (15* off 5) and Nasrulla Rana (2* off 1) shrugged off the remaining 11 runs together to take Hong Kong to a remarkable five-wicket win with three balls to spare.

The outcome helped Hong Kong claim their first Group A win, after two huge defeats, in the ongoing 2024 ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup.