West Indies lose first Super Six Match to Afghanistan in ICC qualifier
HARARE, Zimbabwe — West Indies succumbed to Afghanistan by three wickets in the first Super Six match in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe.
West Indies captain Jason Holder scored 28 off 26 balls in the Windies total of 197-8 off 50 overs. The Afghans replied with 198-7 off 47.4 overs to take the tense contest by three wickets.
In the Windies innings Shai Hope topscored with 43 and helped Holder add 50 for the fifth wicket. Earlier in the innings Marlon Samuels made 36 in a fourth-wicket stand of 55 with Hope.
Holder returned with the ball to snatch 3-39 off 10 overs. He made a crucial breakthrough in the 36th over when Mohammad Nabi played a powerful hook but found the safe hands Shimron Hetmyer at deep square leg with the score at 132-4.
That gave the 26-year-old Holder his 100th ODI wicket in his 74th match and in the process he became the fifth West Indian to complete the “double” of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets. The others are Sir Vivian Richards, Carl Hooper, Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo.
Debutant Keemo Paul came into the match as a replacement for Kemar Roach and the 20-year-old seamer took a wicket with his second ball to give the Windies the perfect start.
He got the ball to move both ways and finished with the impressive figures of 8.4-1-29-2 along with a sharp catch at backward point.
With this result the Windies are now second on the points table with four points. Their second match of the Super Sixes will be against Zimbabwe on Monday at Harare Sports Club.
First ball is 9:30am (3:30am Eastern Caribbean Time/2:30am Jamaica Time).
Photo: West Indies captain Jason Holder