Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe to keep series wide-open

KABUL Club in Bulawayo.

Zimbabwe scored 261 for eight in the stipulated 50 overs and Afghanistan reached the target with two balls to spare, rising hopes for levelling the four-match series if they win again at the same venue on Thursday.
Previously, Afghanistan lost the first two matches by six and eight wickets. The Afghans are playing the matches to prepare for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next February and March.
For the hosts, opener Hamilton Masakadza top scored with 84 runs and his 93-ball stand included nine fours and two sixes. Captain Brendan Taylor scored 53 and Sean Williams 49.  

For Afghanistan, Aftab Alam and Dawlat Zadran shared two wicket each off 44 and 49 runs respectively.
Openers Javed Ahmadi scored 56 runs and teenager Usman Ghani contributed 43 runs to the side followed by Mohammad Nabi with 42 and Samiullah Shinwari 41.
Lower-order pair Dawlat Zadran (24) and Shapoor Zadran (5) sealed victory in a tense finish with an unbeaten ninth-wicket stand.
ma/mud

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