Sharjah witnessed another high scoring game in Afganistan Premier League where it was raining sixes and fours. The 14th clash in APL between Balkh Legends and Kabul Zwanan saw 467 runs scored in 40 overs with 37 sixes. The bowlers looked clueless on a day dominated by the dangerous Chris Gayle for Legends and Zazai for Zwanan. Zazai also equaled the records of six sixes in an over to keep the chase alive. Batting first Legends posted a mammoth total of 244-6 and Zwanan fell short of 21 runs, in the end, scoring 223 in their 20 overs.
Gaylestorm arrived in Sharjah as Chris Gayle started hitting sixes all over the park. His opening partnership with Munaweera added 93 runs in just 9.1 overs. Munaweera fell after an entertaining 46 off 25 balls. Darwish Rasooli joined Gayle, and the pair continued the onslaught adding 48 runs off 22 balls. Rasooli and Nabi then formed a partnership of 67 off 26 balls to take Legends to 229 in the 19th over. Mirwais finished the innings with a couple of sixes to post 244 on board.
Kabul showed their intention to chase down the target from initial overs adding 86 runs in the powerplay. Zazai scored a 12 ball half-century which included six sixes in Abdullah’s over. He equaled the fasted half-century in T20 cricket. Luke Ronchi picked up the attached after the dismissal of Zazai and kept the momentum going. However, once they lost Ronchi and Shahidullah the pressure was kept raising and they lost track. Colin Ingram and Rashid Khan kept trying till the end but the target was too much in the final overs to achieve. Zwanan scored 223 in the quota of overs.
Score: Legends 244-6 in 20 overs ( Gayle 80, Darwish Rasooli 50, Fareed Ahmad 48/2)
Zwanan 223-7 in 20 overs (Zazai 62, Ronchi 47, Ben Laughlin 37/3)
