After upstaging tournament favourites India ‘A’, Afghanistan ‘A’ have finally completed their dream run to clinch their maiden ACC Teams Emerging Asia Cup title. After Mohammad Ishaq smashed the winning boundary through square leg, the celebrations said it all at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman against Sri Lanka A.
A thrilling Emerging Asia Cup Final!
The story of this final really was a tale of two contrasting innings. Sri Lanka A had a nightmare start, losing wickets in clusters as the Afghan bowlers came out firing. Allah Ghazanfar was unplayable tonight as he danced the Lankan batters to his tunes, claiming 2/14 in his four overs.
At 25/4, Sri Lanka A were in serious trouble, and it took a gutsy fifty from captain Sahan Arachchige to give them something to bowl at. He found a valuable ally in Nimesh Vimukthi, who chipped in with 23, helping push their total to 133/7. Bilal Sami was also the standout bowler for Afghanistan, picking up three crucial wickets. Nonetheless, Arachchige played one of the best knocks of the tournament, soaking in all the pressure. He remained unbeaten at 64 and was the only reason why SL ‘A’ managed to post a respectable total.
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Sediqullah Atal, take a bow!
When Afghanistan came out to chase, there was an early hiccup as Zubaid Akbari fell for a duck to the very first ball from Arachchige. But that’s where the Sri Lankan celebrations pretty much ended. Sediqullah Atal played an absolute blinder, his half-century full of confidence and class. He played a six over cow corner to bring up his fifty that really was the exclamation point on a brilliant knock. Sediqullah was undoubtedly the Player of the Tournament. After all, he bludgeoned every bowling he faced, making 368 runs at an immaculate average of 122.66. Incredibly, Atal smashed five consecutive fifties in his all Emerging Asia Cup 2024 knocks!
He found great support in Karim Janat, who made a solid 33 before a run-out ended his stay. But by then, the back of the chase was done and dusted. The Afghan batters never looked flustered, picking their moments to attack and keeping the scoreboard ticking with smart cricket. The win showcases the incredible depth of talent in Afghan cricket right now. Their ‘A’ team playing with such maturity and skill bodes well for their future. For Sri Lanka A, despite the loss, Arachchige’s leadership and batting under pressure showed real character.
