AFGHANISTAN’s spinners shared eight wickets in Harare as Asghar Stanikzai’s men beat Zimbabwe by 54 runs to move 2-0 up in their five-match one-day international series.
The tourists, who prevailed by 12 runs in a rain-affected opener, posted 238-9 yesterday, thanks largely to handy innings from Mohammad Shahzad (64), Rahmat Shah (53) and Najibullah Zadran (45).Mohammad Nabi also chipped in with a run-a-ball 33 for Afghanistan and the veteran all-rounder then picked up 3-38 to help dismiss Zimbabwe for 184.
Fellow slow bowlers Rashid Khan (3-25) and Amir Hamza (2-40) also enjoyed success, with the other wickets falling to the medium pace of Gulbadin Naib (2-38).
Zimbabwe were handily placed at 139-3 in the 32nd over following a half-century from Solomon Mire, but collapsed alarmingly thereafter and must now avoid defeat in tomorrow’s third ODI to keep the series alive.