DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mystery bowler Mujeeb Ur Rahman scored a hat trick as Afghanistan prepared for next month’s T20 World Cup with a 39-run win over the West Indies on Wednesday.
West Indies, who lost the first match by 38 runs, were bowled out for 150 in 18.5 overs. Mujeeb claimed 4-21 and became only the third Afghan bowler after Rashid Khan and Karim Janat to take a hat-trick in T20s.
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Earlier, Darwish Rasooli followed up his half-century in the first match with 68 off 39 balls and Sediqullah Atal made 53 in a total of 189-4 for Afghanistan after West Indies won the toss and elected to field.
Mujeeb trapped Evin Lewis’ leg before the wicket of a quicker ball before bowling Johnson Charles with a perfect delivery that drifted into the right-handed batter and West Indies collapsed to 38-3 in eight overs.
Mujeeb waited for his hat-trick until he returned for his final over in the death overs when top-scorer captain Brandon King (50) holed out at long-on and then finished with a four-wicket haul by clean bowling Quentin Sampson.
“The plan was to keep it simple and hit the stumps,” Mujeeb said. “I didn’t know I was on a hat-trick and I was just looking to hit the right areas. Good preparation for us before the World Cup. This victory will give us more energy.”
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The three-match series ends on Thursday.
Shimron Hetmyer briefly challenged the big target with his 46 from 17 balls including six sixes before taking cover while attempting a big shot against Fazalhaq Farooqi (2-28).
Fast bowler Azmatullah Omarzai claimed 2-20 before Farooqi dismissed batter No.11 Ramon Simmonds to seal the series for Afghanistan with seven balls to spare.
Afghanistan’s opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz (1) and Ibrahim Zadran (22) came out on the powerplay, but Rasooli and Atal combined in a 115-run stand as they dominated both pace and spin.
Atal hit three sixes and two fours before bowling to deep square leg off Matthew Forde’s return (2-25) and Rasooli fell in the 18th over when he couldn’t clear Alick Athanaze at mid-off.
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Omarzai smashed an unbeaten 26 off 13 balls with spinner Gudakesh Motie returning with costly figures of 0-54 which included 19 runs from the final over.
“Hetty (Hetmyer) played a fantastic inning, but after she got out, I had to be the person to finish it,” King said. “Commissioning was a disappointment but it’s something we continue to work on.”
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