Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, 1 run.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Two leg byes! Fazalhaq Farooqi has been off with this lines this over.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Chad Soper, Serves it on a good length, a hint of inward movement, on off, Chad Soper does not move his feet much and guides it wide of point for a single.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Chad Soper, Farooqi switches his angle as he comes from over the wicket and angles it across the right-hander, fuller and around off, Chad Soper goes for the drive but the bat turns in his hand on contact and he miscues the shot to mid on.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Leg bye! Slides on the pads, on a nagging length, Tony Ura fails to tickle it fine with the angle. The ball rolls off his pads on the leg side and the batters scamper across for a leg bye.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Much tighter line from Farooqi, on a hard length, on off and middle, slanting in again, Tony Ura opts to wait on the back foot to defend it with a straight bat. Gets beaten on the inside edge and the ball strikes him high on the back thigh.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, FIVE WIDES! Wayward from Fazalhaq Farooqi. At 129 kph from around the wicket but strays it way down leg, on a back of a length, Tony Ura lets it go. The ball keeps going away from the keeper, Rahmanullah Gurbaz who flings himself to his left but fails to cut it off.
Score after
5
overs
18 - 4
- Chad Soper 0 (5)
- Tony Ura 9 (12)
Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Play and a miss to end the over! Hurls it in the corridor of off, on a good length and it nips away off the deck. Chad Soper fiddles at the delivery away from his body and gets beaten on the outside edge.
Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Pulls the length back and aims it around the off-stump, Chad Soper hangs back in his crease and pushes it along the ground to point.
Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Goes wide of the crease on the over-the-wicket angle and slants it back in, attacking the stumps, fuller in length, Chad Soper gets right behind the line of the ball and blocks it out.
Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Goes back to bowling full and in the channel on off, Chad Soper stays leg side of the ball and dabs it square to backward point without much foot movement.
Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, WIDE! This one goes the other way from Naveen-ul-Haq and hits the hard length as well. Gets the line wrong though as this is beyond the tramline on off.
Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Swinging in sharply back into the right-hander from over the wicket, on a length, on off, Chad Soper covers the line of the ball and just about manages to keep it out.
Chad Soper is in at number 6.
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Naveen-ul-Haq replaces Mohammad Nabi.
Naveen-ul-Haq to Hiri Hiri, OUT! DRAGGED ON! Naveen-ul-Haq gets in on the act now with his first ball. Naveen-ul-Haq charges in from over the wicket and lands it on a length, outside off, Hiri Hiri sees the width on offer and throws his hands at it as he goes for an expansive drive. Gets an inside edge as the ball shapes back in and it drags back onto the stumps. PNG in deep, deep trouble now.
Score after
4
overs
17 - 3
- Tony Ura 9 (12)
- Hiri Hiri 1 (2)
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Dishes it out on a fullish length, shaping in, on off, Tony Ura jams it out safely to the off side.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Pulls the length back and gets a bit of extra bounce, on off, Tony Ura does well to ride the bounce and keeps it out down the deck.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Hiri Hiri, Goes wide of the crease on the around-the-wicket angle and hoops it back in, on a short of a good length, on off, Hiri Hiri goes for the big booming drive but toe-ends his shot to the left of backward point for one.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Hiri Hiri, FOUR LEG BYES! Farooqi tries a bit too hard on the hat-trick ball and gets it wrong. Goes searching for the magical delivery but strays on the pads, on a good length, Hiri Hiri is beaten for pace as he tries to tickle it fine and gets beaten on the inside edge. The ball brushes his pads and races down to fine leg for a boundary.
Hiri Hiri is in at number 5 for PNG and will face Fazalhaq Farooqi who is on a Hat-Trick.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sese Bau, OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Two in two for Fazalhaq Farooqi! Papua New Guinea have been rocked early. Fazalhaq Farooqi stays over the wicket for the left-hander and gets the ball to tail back in sharply, on a nagging length, on middle and leg, Sese Bau tries to cover the line of the ball but the ball nips back in sharply off the deck and catches the inside edge. It brushes the back thigh pad on the way through and it is pouched safely by Rahmanullah Gurbaz diving away to his right again. Hat-trick ball coming up.
Sese Bau is in at number 4.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Lega Siaka, OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the thick of action again! A golden duck for Lega Siaka. Farooqi steams in from over the wicket and angles away, on a hard length, on the off-stump line, Lega Siaka pokes at the delivery and the ball kicks off the deck as it catches the shoulder of the bat. It flies to the right of the keeper, Rahmanullah Gurbaz who dives to that side and takes a fine catch.
Score after
3
overs
12 - 1
- Tony Ura 9 (10)
- Lega Siaka 0 (0)
Mohammad Nabi to Tony Ura, Floats it up, full and on middle, Tony Ura works it off the front foot to mid-wicket.
Lega Siaka is in at number 3.
Is that out? A bit of a lazy running there from the PNG's skipper Assad Vala. A direct hit from Rahmanullah Gurbaz at the non-striker's end. Assad Vala casually ran for the third run and didn't slide in the bat to complete the run. The TV Umpire confirms that Vala's bat was marginally in the air when the ball hit the stumps at the non-striker's end. OUT.
Mohammad Nabi to Assad Vala, OUT! RUN OUT! Casual running from the Papua New Guinea skipper and he pays the ultimate price. Nabi serves it short in length and gets a hint of away turn, on off, Assad Vala plays it with the turn as he stands tall and punches it wide of point for a couple of runs. The batters think about the third run and they do cross over. Fazalhaq Farooqi gives it a chase and fires a throw back in towards the keeper. Rahmanullah Gurbaz collects it neatly and is aware that Vala is struggling to make his ground at the bowling end. Gurbaz turns around and hits the stumps at the bowling end. The replays show that Vala did not drag his bat inside the crease but instead, chose to plonk it. The bat was in the air when the stumps were disturbed and he will have to make the long walk back.
Mohammad Nabi to Tony Ura, Utter confusion but Papua New Guinea get away with it. Fires it in does Nabi, fuller in length, on middle and leg, Tony Ura jams it out as he gets his bat down in time. Gets an inside edge that rolls to short fine leg and Vala calls him Ura through for the run. Ura is caught ball-watching and he is late to set off the blocks but eventually makes his ground at the bowling end.
Mohammad Nabi to Assad Vala, Quick single taken and Assad Vala is off the mark. Comes from around the wicket for the left-hander and delivers it on a nagging length, Assad Vala drops it with soft hands in front of cover and gets to the other end.
Mohammad Nabi to Tony Ura, Direct hit and Tony Ura was gone there. Slows it up nicely and bowls it shorter as well, on off and middle, Tony Ura shapes up to go big on the off side but the ball grips in the surface and takes off a bit as well. Ura inside edges it wide of mid-wicket and the batters steal a quick single.
Mohammad Nabi to Tony Ura, FOUR! Tony Ura with the first boundary for Papua New Guinea. Gets the ball to drift away does Nabi, on a nagging length, outside off, Tony Ura rocks back and cuts it nicely through cover-point for a boundary.
Spin early on as the 'Professor' Mohammad Nabi will bowl the second over.
- Tony Ura 3 (6)
- Assad Vala 0 (0)
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Pitches it right up to the batter and offers a bit of width on off, Tony Ura frees his arms and cracks the drive along the carpet to deep backward point for a single. A quiet first over from Farooqi.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Hits the hard length, on middle, Tony Ura hops back and stabs it down the deck with a straight bat.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Gets a good inward shape, on a good length, on middle, Tony Ura accounts for the inward movement, gets on the front foot and defends it solidly off the front foot.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Drags the length back and angles it across the batter, outside off, Tony Ura sways away from the line of the ball and lets the ball go through to the keeper.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, On target again is Fazalhaq Farooqi but Papua New Guinea have their first runs. Shaping in, full and attacking the stumps, on middle and leg, Tony Ura uses the swing well and clips it through square leg for a couple of runs.
Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Charges in from over the wicket and gets the yorker right in first up, in search of swing, around off, Tony Ura digs it out off the toe-end of the bat towards cover. Ura wants a single but gets sent back by his partner.
Done with the pre-match formalities and it is now time for the real action to get underway at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba. The two Umpires are already out in the middle and the players of Afghanistan are scattering throughout the field and taking their respective positions. Assad Vala and Tony Ura are the openers for Papua New Guinea with the latter taking the guard. Fazalhaq Farooqi has the new ball and is all in readiness to bowl the first over of the game for Afghanistan. And, here we go...
We are just a few moments away from the start of the match. But before that, the two set of players are getting lined up followed by the match officials for their respective national anthems. It will be Papua New Guinea's first, followed by the national anthem of Afghanistan.
Norman Vanua is in for a flash interview. He says that it is an honour to represent Papua New Guinea and be the leading wicket-taker. States that it is always a good game against Afghanistan and that they have played them in a few T20Is and four-day matches and they are a tough team to beat. Feels that they need to play their best game and follow the processes. Shares that cricket has come a long way in Papua New Guinea and the facilities have improved. Adds that the grounds have gotten better and there is a lot more coverage of the game in the country. Ends by saying that they are taking in the experience of playing in a World Cup and are having fun.
PITCH REPORT - Simon Doull and Daren Ganga are at the 22 yards. Simon Doull says that the weather is quite better and breezy, gusting south-easterly blowing towards the shorter side. Says it is 65 meters and 67 meters on squares and it is 70 meters hit down the ground. Daren Ganga joins and says that along the cracks, the density of the grass has increased and it will get a little more variable pace and bounce from it. Also adds that from what they saw in the previous game played here, you can score once you get going. Daren Ganga says the way Sherfane Rutherford played vertical bat strokes here will also be very crucial for the batters in this game.
The captain of Papua New Guinea, Assad Vala says that he watched the last game played at this venue where the wicket was up and down. Feels that spending time out in the middle will be key for the batters. Shares that they took a few days off and returned to training three days ago. Hopes that his side can put the learnings from the first couple of games into this clash. Ends by informing that they have made one change based on the conditions with Semo Kamea coming in for Charles Amini.
Rashid Khan, the skipper of Afghanistan wins the toss and elects to BOWL first. Says they want to see how the wicket will behave here and they have watched the previous game and that there was a lot of dew as well. Adds it rained heavily and didn't allow them to practice much. Says each game is very important and they are taking each game seriously and ends up informing they are going with the same side.
Papua New Guinea (Playing XI) - Tony Ura, Assad Vala (C), Lega Siaka, Sese Bau, Hiri Hiri, Chad Soper, Kipling Doriga (WK), Norman Vanua, Alei Nao, John Kariko, Semo Kamea (In for Charles Amini).
Afghanistan (Unchanged Playing XI) - Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (C), Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
TOSS - The coin toss lands in the favour of Afghanistan and they have opted to BOWL first.
Afghanistan would be the last team to take their foot off the gas and won't take Papua New Guinea lightly
Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea have only faced each other once, back in 2015, in a game that was won by the former
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