Kandahar live to fight another day
sharjah — The Kandahar Knights kept their bleak hopes alive of staying in the Gulbahar Afghanistan Premier League (APL), if only by a thread, with their first victory of the competition.
The Knights ended their fourmatch winless drought with a 26run victory over the Nangarhar Leopards at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday night.
Chasing a low 137, the Leopards innings almost mirrored that of the Knights as they were shot out for 110 with three balls to spare.
Waqar Salamkheil, the 17-yearold left-arm pacer snaffled three for 20, while Karim Janat, who was responsible for the Knights’ total, took two along with UAE medium pacer Mohammad Naveed.
Earlier, 17-year-old off-spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who had taken three for 29 against Kabul Zwanan on Friday night, continued in the same vein, scalping four wickets for a miserly 16 runs to dent the Knights.
Australian medium pacer Nathan Rimmington, who had flown in as a replacement for the injured West Indian Andre Russell, took two for 33.
It was a sorry sight as the batting line-up of the Knights failed to fire yet again. It was a pathetic performance with names like New Zealand legend Brendon McCullum and Irishman Paul Stirling continuing their horrid form with the bat.
McCullum, the former Kiwi skipper was a pale shadow of himself as he scratched around for nine balls before falling for just three.
He was to be Rahman’s third victim as the 17-year-old floored the Knights with his off-spinners. The only notable contribution so far from McCullum has been 31 against the Balkh Legends.
Rahman’s spell sucked the life out of the Knights’ batting as he and Rimmington picked holes through the batting order.
The Knights found themselves in a deep, deep hole with half their side gone for a paltry 27 on the board.
Openers Karim Sadiq, Stirling, McCullum, Nasir Jamal, captain Asghar Afghan all came and went back in a hurry.
And it took a valiant rearguard from Karim Janat to give the Knights something to fight with. The 20-yearold struck an entertaining 21-ball 40 with the help of three sixes and two boundaries to thwart the Leopards.
Earlier, amidst the freefall, it was Riki Wessels who showed initial resistance with 22 from 20 balls with two boundaries.
Najibullah Zadran made 24 from 21 with two boundaries and a six, while Sayed Shirzad threw his bat around for a 16-ball 19 with three boundaries.