Caribbean Times 3rd Issue - Wednesday 22nd February 2017

Wednesday 22nd February 2017 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 15
Afghanistan lose 5 for 5 to mess up 130 chase
HARARE - Harare Sports Club. Afghanistan
are cantering towards a target
of 130. They need 16 runs more, off 24
overs, with five wickets in hand, to win a
third successive ODI series against Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe have never defended
so low a total in one-day internationals.
The match is in the bag, right? Enter
seamer Chris Mpofu. Add some handy
work from wicketkeeper Peter Moor, vital
spin support from Sean Williams, and
rash batting from Afghanistan’s middle
and lower order, and what you have is
an unbelievable three-run win for Zimbabwe.
There was no hint of the drama to
come when Mpofu began the 27th over
and new batsman Mohammad Nabi dispatched
the first ball over long-off for six.
He took a single next ball, and the wellset
Samiullah Shenwari was back on
strike. Afghanistan needed nine. Shenwari
went after a short, wide one, and under-edged;
the ball was dying on keeper
Moor, but he dived forward and held on.
By Carlena Knight
Liberta Primary continue
to make their presence known
in the Cool and Smooth Inter-School
Basketball league.
Liberta who competes in
cont’d from pg 14
Despite a 23 point, 7 rebound and 5 assists
effort from Chaz Samuel and a 22 point and 10
rebound effort from Coy Quinland, Stingerz
could not put away the Orange men.
Flyers managed to push the game into
overtime and gained some much-needed momentum
to pull off the win.
Led by Keroi ‘Dragon’ Lee with 26 points
and 12 rebounds the Orange men salvaged a
much-needed win as they keep their sights set
on the playoffs.
Steven Matthew also of Flyers had 19 points
and 6 rebounds while teammates, Adonis
Humphreys and Kenya Achom chipped in
The very next ball, new man Najibullah
Zadran’s shot selection was suspect - he
tried to pull a short one from outside off -
and top edged. Moor held on again.
Six needed off 23 overs, three wickets
in hand. Left-arm spinner Williams,
bowling his fifth over, tossed it up on
middle and Nabi missed the cut. Bowled.
Williams sent down a maiden. The first
ball of the next over, the Mpofu-Moor
pairing was at it again. This time it was
a short ball angling down leg, which
Rashid Khan edged to be caught behind.
Another wicket maiden and it was back
to Williams. No. 10 Amir Hamza managed
to get two off the first ball, Graeme
Cremer misfielding amid all the tension.
He kept out the next one, but could not
hold himself back off the third ball; a big
swing at a delivery tossed up on off ended
in the hands of Richard Ngarava at point.
Zimbabwe had won by three runs, keeping
the series alive. To complete their first
ever ODI series victory against a spirited
Afghanistan side, they will have to win
the Mini-Boys Primary division
cemented their status at
the top of the table with a 3-record
after defeating Defending
champions, Green Bay
Primary, 16-5 on Monday
afternoon at the JSC Sports
complex. Talique Merrick
was the leading scorer with 10
points with assistance from D.
Meade with 4 points to seal
another victory.
both with 10 points but with Humphreys grabbing
18 rebounds.
Mahijah Davis had 14 points, 14 rebounds
and 5 assists while Felix Hamilton contributed
12 points in a losing effort.
Meanwhile just 24 hours prior, Ottos Full
Throttle edged out Freetown Travellers, 52-51.
Akeem Davis led his team with 11 points
with assistance from Kavari Francis with 11
points and 8 rebounds and Kwame Payne also
with 11 points.
Morlon ‘Little’ Davis had 26 points and 7
rebounds while Teon Joseph chipped in with
9 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in a losing
effort.
the next two games too, on February 24
and 26.
Zimbabwe seemed to have little
chance of staying in the series after their
batting failed. The only contribution of
note came from Tarisai Musakanda, who
scored 60 out of their total of 129. Only
one other batsmen - Malcolm Waller,
who finished unbeaten on 36 - made it
past 10 as the home side imploded in 32.4
overs. Much of the damage was done by
the medium pace of Gulbadin Naib and
the legspin of Rashid Khan, who must
have still been in a happy daze from his
success at the IPL auction. He was also
on a hat-trick at one point in this match.
When the players broke for lunch,
Afghanistan were comfortable at 63 for
3 in 13 overs with captain Asghar Stanikzai
and Shenwari at the crease. Newball
bowler Tendai Chatara got Stanikzai
soon after the interval, though - another
catch to keeper Moor - helping Zimbabwe
take a step towards one of the most
stunning comebacks. (ESPNcricinfo)
Liberta Primary reign supreme in School Basketball
Liberta are presently tied
with Combine team for first
place.
N. Monford of Green Bay
Primary had 4 points.
In the other Mini-boys
Primary match up, Old Road
Primary edged out Parham
Primary, 6-4.
Keon Jackson had 4 points
for Old Road while J. Hodge
and J. James had 2 points respectively
for Parham.
Princess Margaret trumped
Clare Hall Secondary, 23-18
in the Junior Boys division.
Deandrea Elien was the
leading scorer with 17 points
while for Clare Hall, Omar
Whyte had 10 points and
Adrian Cornelius chipped in
with 9 points.