• Balkh Legends take Afghanistan Premier League title

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    Wayne Parnell starred with bat and ball but couldn’t prevent the Balkh Legends from defeating Kabul Zwanan by four wickets with 11 balls in hand to take the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League title in Sharjah.

    After the loss of two early Kabul Zwanan wickets in the first five overs, the South African-born pair of Wayne Parnell (21 off 25 balls) and Colin Ingram (21 off 19) added 38 for the third wicket to get the innings off to a good, albeit slightly slowish, start. Afghanistan’s Javed Ahmadi top-scored with 32 off 19 balls (two fours, two sixes, S/R 168.42) as the Legends struggled to reach 132-9 off their 20 overs, their lowest score of the tournament.

    Aftab Alam was the epitome of economy with the ball, his three overs costing just 4.33 runs per over as he picked up 1-13, while 18-year-old Afghanistan novice Qais Ahmad took an incredible five wickets for 18 runs (econ 4.50) to rock the Zwanan batting lineup.

    Ahmad’s wickets included Parnell, Ahmadi, Laurie Evans and Zwanan captain Rashid Khan.

    Mirwais Ashraf was also good value with the ball, taking 1-20 off his four overs (econ 5.00).

    Defending one of the lower scores in the tournament, Parnell got stuck in straight away, striking twice in the first over to give Zwanan hope. Parnell had Durban-born New Zealand international Colin Munro caught by Ingram for a golden duck in the first over, and then bowled Darwish Rasooli second ball to leave the Legends on 2-6 after the first over.

    Port Elizabeth-born Ryan ten Doeschate (12 off 20) added 31 for the third wicket in six overs with big-hitting West Indies star Chris Gayle (56 off 34, four fours, four sixes, S/R 164.70). Gayle was joined by Ravi Bopara, and the pair added 50 for the fourth wicket in the 12th over, before Ingram caught Gayle off Khan.

    The Legends then picked off the runs with ease, Bopara ending 32 not out off 29 balls and watching from the non-striker’s end as Gulbadin Naib smashed Fareed Ahmad for six in the 19th over to clinch the title.

    Khan proved his class again with the ball in a losing effort, taking 1-21 off his four overs (econ 5.25), while Parnell picked up 3-35 (econ 8.75) from his four overs.

    Qais Ahmad was a worthy Player of the Match for his astounding figures of 4-0-18-5 (econ 4.50) that had restricted Zwanan to 132-9 and set up a fairly comfortable march to victory for his teammates.

    Having topped the league table with six wins from their eight matches, the Legends were deserved winners of the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League, while Parnell’s teammate and Legends captain Khan was named Player of the Series, which is good news for fans of the Mzansi Super League. Khan is set to join the Durban Heat in the upcoming MSL draft and the young man is sure to set the local league ablaze with his cricketing talents.

    Scorecard

    Photo: APLT20official (Twitter)

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    Simon Lewis