Afghanistan rides on Stanikzai ton

Mohammad Shahzad first and then Asghar Stanikzai and Nasir Jamal piled on the runs for Afghanistan hauling their team to a strong 357 for 6 by close of play on the first day of the ICC Intercontinental Cup clash against Ireland in Greater Noida on Tuesday (March 28).

While Shahzad and Jamal scored half-centuries, Stanikzai was the star, ending the day unbeaten on 110 from 160 balls with the promise of many more on the morrow.

Stanikzai won the toss at Afghanistan’s ‘home’ ground, where the team had beaten Ireland 3-0 and 3-2 in the Twenty20 International and One-Day International series respectively before the start of the four-day game, and expectedly opted to bat. With Shahzad taking off from the get-go, it was going smoothly enough – though singles were at a premium, the runs being scored mainly in boundaries – till Shabir Noori was sent back lbw by Andy McBrine, the offspinner, for 15 to break a 39-run stand.

Shahzad had already struck four fours and a six at that stage and continued in much the same vein in the company of Rahmat Shah, whose unbeaten 108 had taken Afghanistan to victory in the decisive fifth ODI last Friday. Shahzad found the boundary often enough as the two batsmen added 106 runs for the second wicket, the scoring rate hovering around 3.5 an over, before Shahzad tried to flick John Anderson’s offspin but only got a leading edge to cover where Paul Stirling took an easy catch. Shahzad scored 85 in 130 balls in just over two-and-a-half hours with ten fours and two sixes, his dismissal leaving Afghanistan at 145 for 2 in the 44th over.

Rahmat didn’t last too much longer either, nicking Anderson on the drive to Niall O’Brien behind the stumps to depart for 46 in 95 balls with seven hits to the fence.

By then, however, Stanikzai had settled in well, sending Anderson for two sixes and a four in the 48th over of the innings, and in the company of Jamal, he upped the run-rate significantly.

The two got together with the scoreboard reading 174 for 3 in the 50th over, and by the time they were separated in the 84th over, they had added 144 runs to the team’s tally, both scoring at a strike rate of over 70. Stanikzai pulled out the big hits often, sending Peter Chase, the right-arm medium pacer, and George Dockrell, the left-arm spinner, for sixes. Jamal wasn’t to be left behind, and hit nine balls to the fence and one over it in an enterprising 102-ball 73, which ended when he went after a short and wide delivery from Chase and nicked to O’Brien.

Two wickets followed, with Hashmatullah Shahidi becoming McBrine’s second wicket and Mohammad Nabi not lasting long before Dockrell accounted for him.

But Stanikzai was far from done, and stroked his way to an entertaining century, reaching the milestone with a leg-side boundary off Chase off the 137th ball he had faced. He went on to 110 when play finally ended after 96 overs of action, having hit seven fours and five sixes – the Afghans hit a total of 36 fours and 10 sixes on the day.

Ireland is on top of the table, with 80 points, after having won all its four matches so far, while Afghanistan is in second place with 61 points from three victories and a draw. The team that ends up winning the tournament advances to the 2018 Test Challenge, a four-match series against Zimbabwe, the bottom-ranked Test side.