Twitter Reactions: Middle order propels Kabul Zwanan to top of APL table

Rashid Khan-led Kabul Zwanan are sitting pretty at the top of the APL table after having marginally defeated the Kandahar Knights on Thursday. Put into bat first by the Knights, the Zwanan didn’t get off to the best of starts. But it was their trio of middle order batsmen who not only revived them but ensured they reach the halfway mark with more than a respectable total on board. Kabul’s main man who did the job with the bat was Englishman Laurie Evans. Striking at close to 200, he smashed 2 fours and 5 sixes en route a 29-ball 57, which meant the Knights would have to chase 174 when they came out to bat.

Kabul’s Openers Hazratullah Zazai and Luke Ronchi stuttered up front until the former lost his stumps to paceman Mohammad Naveed. Colin Ingram didn’t last long either, departing after having added just 4 runs to Kabul’s score. Into the sixth over, the Zwanan were at 31 for 2, when Javed Ahmadi walked in. He stitched together a handy partnership with Ronchi before the Kiwi opener perished for 25.

Out came Laurie Evans, who took the attack to the bowlers right from ball one. Even after Ahmadi departed, he continued his onslaught and was ably supported by Shahidullah. His 21-ball 33 took the Kabul Zwanan over the 150-mark following which he was bowled by Sayed Shirzad. Evans, however, stood his ground and guided his side to 173 in the first innings. Shirzad was the standout bowler for the Kandahar Knights, with figures of 3 for 36 off his 4.

Kandahar Knights get off to a shaky start

In reply, Asghar Afghan’s side struggled to get going. They were in a real spot of bother when they lost their talisman, Brendon McCullum, cheaply.  The skipper, however, put his best foot forward and kept the Knights afloat with a brilliant half-century under pressure. His 52 off 32 was laced with 4 boundaries and 4 sixes, which meant the Kandahar Knights were still in the hunt. But after his departure, as the match seemed to slip away from their hands, Nasir Jamal and Riki Wessels began to smash boundaries at will. Needing 86 off 42 at a point, the Knights had reduced the equation to 42 off the last 3 overs.

Skipper Rashid Khan came in to bowl his final over, before which he had maintained an economy rate of just 5. Wessels and Jamal though took no stock of the fact that one of the best bowlers in T20 cricket had the ball in hand. They were disdainful in the 18th over, smashing Rashid for as many as 22 runs. The Knights were well and truly back in the game and even looked like they could snatch victory away from the Zwanan.

Wayne Parnell had different plans though – he bowled a spectacular penultimate over, removing the dangerous Jamal and conceding just 5 runs. Needing 15 off the final over, the Knights fell short by just 3 despite a last ball six from Riki Wessels’ bat. The Kabul Zwanan hence clinched the final over thriller by 2 runs, which means they are now table toppers.

Here’s how Twitter reacted

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