Legends march into final
sharjah — The other night, T20 journeyman Chris Gayle had said that young batsman Darwish Rasooli had caught his eye. And the 18-yearold batsman followed in the great West Indian’s footsteps as the Balk Legends majestically marched into the final of the Gulbahar Afghanistan Premier League (APL).
Rasooli lit up the Sharjah Cricket Stadium late on Friday night as the Balkh Legends strode to a massive 171-run over the Nangarhar Leopards.
Rasooli’s blitz, a 45-ball 78, was the cornerstone of the Legends’ victory, but like they say, it was a superlative team effort from them.
The vaunted batting line-up clicked and they were backed up exceedingly well by the bowlers as well as the fielders. Opener Gayle had served up a sumptuous 54 from 30 deliveries with nine boundaries and two sixes, his third half-century of the tournament, to set the tone and Rasooli carried that on his young shoulders after the experienced big man had departed.
Colin Munro and later captain
Mohammad Nabi too made hay as the Leopards wilted under the onslaught. Munro made 33 from 22 balls with three sixes and two boundaries, while Nabi fired up a 16-ball 47 with the help of five sixes and two boundaries to swell Legends’ imposing total of 235, the second highest total of the tournament.
The highest total has been by the Legends themselves, their 244 coming against Kabul Zwanan. But this was to be more than imposing