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Afghanistan A secured a hard-fought 24-run victory over Hong Kong in the 11th Match of the ACC Men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 in Doha. The contest was defined by a late batting recovery from Afghanistan A and a superb, match-winning spell of leg-spin bowling.
First Innings: Afghanistan A Posts 140/6
After Hong Kong won the toss and elected to bowl first, Afghanistan A struggled to gain momentum, managing a modest total of 140 for 6 in their 20 overs.
- Early Struggle: Afghanistan A had a promising start, with Imran Mir (20) providing early aggression. However, they lost key wickets quickly in the middle overs, including captain Darwish Rasooli and Zubaid Akbari, leaving them struggling for a competitive total.
- Late Recovery: The innings was rescued by a valuable partnership between wicketkeeper Mohammad Ishaq (38 off 29) and Farmanullah Safi (23 off 17)*. Ishaq struck two crucial sixes, and Safi added another maximum as they dragged the score past 130 in the final overs.
- Hong Kong Bowling: Hassan Khan Mohammad was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets for 30 runs, while Mohammad Waheed claimed two wickets.
Second Innings: Spin Decimates Hong Kong’s Chase
Chasing 141 for victory, Hong Kong was restricted to 116 for 9, ultimately falling 24 runs short due to a devastating spell of spin bowling.
- Decent Start: Hong Kong began positively, with Zeeshan Ali (10) starting with boundaries before being dismissed. Anshuman Rath (27) and Babar Hayat (30) then provided stability, taking the score past 70.
- The Qais Ahmad Onslaught: The match turned completely in the 11th over when leg-spinner Qais Ahmad was introduced. He triggered a spectacular collapse, dismissing Hayat, Rath, and captain Yasim Murtaza in quick succession.
- Collapse: Hong Kong went from a stable position to 91 for 6 as the middle order completely unravelled against the wrist spin.
- Shiv Mathur’s Fight: Shiv Mathur (24) tried to revive the chase alongside Aizaz Khan (10), but the continuous loss of wickets made the task impossible.
- Closing Out: Faridoon Dawoodzai and Bilal Sami chipped in with two wickets apiece to ensure Afghanistan A comfortably closed out the match.
Qais Ahmad was rightly named Player of the Match for his exceptional bowling figures of 3 wickets for only 18 runs, dismantling the opposition’s challenge.
Image Credits : Outlook India
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