Atal ton, Zadran 90 put Afghanistan on course before Zimbabwe fightback

Afghanistan would feel they fell well short of a bigger total than 294, after Zimbabwe fought back in the last hour or so, in their second match of the tri-series in Abu Dhabi. The tournament hosts were bolstered by Sediqullah Atal's third ODI century, coming on the back of his Test hundred against Bangladesh last week.

Atal made 102 off 110 balls, with eight fours and a six, adding 140 runs for the second wicket with Ibrahim Zadran, who was dismissed in the nineties for the fourth time in his short career.

Zimbabwe, though, rode out the big partnership and turned things around with accurate and smart bowling. They slowed the scoring after the partnership was broken, before picking up five wickets in the last five overs, which yielded just 34 runs.

Ernest Masuku and Brad Evans provided many breakthroughs, picking up three wickets each. Sikandar Raza picked up one wicket, while Blessing Muzarabani took two wickets for 68 runs from his nine overs.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz attacked Muzarabani early, hitting him for three fours and a square-cut six over point. His attacking intent proved his undoing soon after, as he dragged Masuku's first ball onto his stumps.

Zadran hardly changed his approach, playing lovely strokes, as he tried to maintain the fast start alongside Atal. He struck his first five boundaries through the covers or down the ground, before lofting Raza over long-on for his first six. He reached his half-century in the 16th over.

At the other end, Atal got going with consecutive fours off Masuku in the 14th over. Both batters went after Wellington Masakadza in the 18th over, hitting a four and a six. Atal's first six came when he lofted Burl over long-off, before Zadran laid into the part-time legspinner.

Atal survived a chance on 52, when Muzarabani dropped him at long-off, but he soon got into a roll, striking Raza and Masakadza for a four each across three consecutive overs.

Zadran, meanwhile, fell against the run of play, holing out at deep square leg when he tried to swing Evans for another boundary. He departed for 90 off 96 balls, with nine fours and two sixes. Masuku delivered two further blows - he clean bowled captain Rahmat Shah for seven, before Brendan Taylor took a superb diving catch to remove Azmatullah Omarzai for eight.

Atal played a calculative knock and added an important 42 runs with Hashmatullah Shahidi. He reached his century with a hard-run three down the ground in the 44th over, before falling to Raza in the next over.

Shahidi fell to Muzarabani's short ball after making 28 off 30 balls, before Evans' slower ball clean bowled Rashid Khan. AM Ghazanfar was dismissed by Muzarabani while trying to loft him over mid-on, before Raza ran back from mid-off to complete a fine catch. Mohammad Nabi skied Evans in the last over. The innings ended when Ziaur Rahman was run out attempting a second run off the last ball.