Hindukush Strikers beat Pamir Legends by 71 runs in Khost to claim their first win of the ninth Ahmad Shah Abdali First Class Tournament, the Afghanistan Cricket Board reported on September 2.
Set 409 to win, Pamir Legends reached 337 before being dismissed. Captain Rahmat Shah scored 136 and Baheer Shah made 100, but their centuries were not enough to prevent defeat.
Fast bowler Zia Ur Rahman Sharifi took 6 for 85 in the final innings. Combined with his three wickets in Pamir Legends’ first innings, the performance gave him nine wickets in the match and the player-of-the-match award.
Hindukush Strikers had built their position after scoring 351 in the first innings. Captain Abdul Malik made 123, while Mahboob Khan fell three runs short of a century on 97. Hashmatullah Shahidi added 44 and Farmanullah Safi scored 38.
Samiullah Sarmast and Zahir Khan took three wickets each for Pamir Legends, who replied with 212. Rahmat Shah made 58 and Baheer Shah 52 as the Strikers secured a 139-run first-innings lead.
The Strikers then declared their second innings at 269 for seven. Mahboob Khan scored 76, Khalid Taniwal made 60 and Farmanullah Safi finished unbeaten on 25, leaving Pamir Legends with a target of 409.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board said the teams were due to meet again in the tournament’s fourth match on September 4 at the Rahmat Wali Masroor Cricket Ground in Khost.
