It was a night of high catches, hard hits and heartbreak in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe won hearts with the ball, but Afghanistan won the match.

Afghanistan came into the first T20I looking to set the tone, and Zimbabwe’s young attack made sure they had to work for every run. Wessly Madhevere lit up the outfield first sprinting in from deep midwicket and diving full length to send Rashid Khan back. Minutes later, Brad Evans kept his cool under a skied chance to remove Noor Ahmad, and when Sikandar Raza held his third catch of the night at cover off Mujeeb Ur Rahman, you could feel the momentum shifting.

The star with the ball Tinotenda Nyamhuri. The 20-year-old finished with a brilliant 4 for 31 from 3.5 overs, bowling with pace and fearlessness as Afghanistan were dismissed with one ball still unused. Evans supported with 2 for 34 and Wellington Masuku with 2 for 41.

Chasing 147 to win, Zimbabwe needed a steady start. It didn’t come. Ben Curran pulled Fazalhaq Farooqi straight to Azmatullah Omarzai at midwicket for just 7, leaving the score at 12 for 1.

Innocent Kaia didn’t care. He walked in and announced himself 14 from his first 9 balls, with a crisp four and a towering six. Alongside Brian Bennett, he added 36 and the crowd began to believe again. Then came Rashid Khan. With the last ball of the 8th over, a googly that Kaia tried to cut, clean bowled him for 24.

At 48 for 2, Ryan Burl walked in. However at 56, Bennett fell trying to slog-sweep Mujeeb, caught in the deep by Shahidullah for 13 from 18.

That brought the two most experienced men together Raza and Burl and for a moment, the chase was alive again. 38 runs for the fourth wicket. Burl took on Noor Ahmad, launching two sixes into the night. Raza answered with a six and four off Mujeeb, before the Afghan spinner had the last laugh, having the Zimbabwe captain caught in the deep for 17.

At 94 for 4 in the 14th over, it was still anyone’s game. But Afghanistan, as they always do, kept taking wickets.

Tadiwanashe Marumani was trapped lbw by Rashid for 7. Burl, who had fought so hard for 30, drove powerfully off Farooqi, only for a diving Shahidullah in the covers to pull off a stunner in the first ball of the 17th over. Wessly Madhevere gave a late spark 17 from just 8 balls with a four and a six before he too was caught off Shahidullah, leaving Zimbabwe at 127 for 7.

Omarzai then turned the screw. In the penultimate over, he removed Evans lbw for 4 and bowled Masuku first ball. Two in two. The stadium went silent.

Wellington Masakadza stayed unbeaten on 7, hitting a beautiful six late on, but it was too much to do. Farooqi sealed it from the first ball of the final over, with Nyamhuri caught by Rashid at long-off for 2.
Farooqi finished with the best figures, 3 for 13, while Rashid, Mujeeb and Omarzai took two apiece. Afghanistan 1, Zimbabwe 0 in the three-match series.