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Thanks for joining us. Do tune in for the next game which is slated to begin in 30 minutes. Balkh Legends take on Kandahar Knights for what promises to be an engrossing tussle.
Having lost as many as four wickets inside the first seven overs, Nangarhar's run-chase began on a woeful note. A rapid 112-run partnership between Ben Cutting and Hashmatullah Shahidi raised hopes a late revival. But Isuru Udana held his nerve and delivered a stunning penultimate over to clinch the game for Paktia.
Ben Cutting treads on to his stumps and is dismissed hit wicket. Yousuf Zazai finishes the match for the Panthers. Concedes just 7 runs from the final over of the game. Nangarhar Leopards can only manage 163/6.
Game-changing over from Udana! Just five runs from it. The left-arm seamer from Sri Lanka has all but sealed the match for Paktia Panthers. Nangarhar need an improbable 29 runs from the last over.
Nangarhar have made a miraculous comeback. They need 34 runs from the last two overs. Can Cutting and Shahidi take them across the line? Udana back into the attack.
16 runs from the over! After Hashmatullah Shahidi hammers back to back boundaries, Cutting finally manages to break the shackles with a massive maximum.
Ben Cutting is struggling to get a move on. The skipper is currently batting on 4 off 8 balls. Paktia's spinners are squeezing the life out of the run-chase.
At the half-way mark, Nangarhar are struggling to push on the accelerator. Can captain Cutting inspire a fightback? The required run-rate has shot past 13.
Afridi strikes! Cleans up Najeeb Tarakai with a leg-break that slightly grips on the surface. The experienced campaigner goes on to share a smile with skipper Shahzad.
A tight over from Yousuf Zazai. Just four runs from it. Rahmat Shah and Najeeb Tarakai are happy to bide their time. But the required run-rate has gone to 10.33.
Mohammad Shahzad and Cameron Delport set the platform with a belligerent second-wicket partnership. A flurry of wickets threatened to derail their progress. But Samiullah Shenwari added the finishing touches with a sparkling cameo. Collecting five wickets between them, Ben Cutting and Zahir Khan were the pick of the bowlers.
Nangarhar Leopards need to go at more than 9.2 runs per over to chase down their target. Can they do it? Do join us in a bit for the run-chase.
May have missed another hat-trick but picks Three wickets in Four balls. Cutting has done an exceptional job in the last over of the innings. Just three runs off it.
Sharafuddin Ashraf cracks a six off Cutting. Gets underneath a fuller delivery and carves the ball beyond the point boundary. Not an easy shot to execute.
Sensational catch from Cutting! Afridi tries to take on McClenaghan and almost clears the fence. However, Ben Cutting leaps high at long-off and pulls off an outrageous take inches from the boundary rope. Boom Boom has to depart.
Back to back Sixes! Samiullah Shenwari uses the angle and pace of Naveen-ul-Haq to muscle the ball into the stands. Costly over for Nangarhar. 17 runs from it.
The missed stumping won't cost the Leopards! Sikandar Raza bowls himself by attempting a perilous reverse-sweep against Zahir. The chinaman bowler gets another crucial wicket.
Shafiqullah misses a stumping chance. Could have spelled further trouble for the Panthers. Sikandar Raza rubs salt into the wounds by smashing Rahmat Shah for a massive six through the off-side.
Nangarhar Leopards are back in business. They have removed both set batsmen in consecutive overs. Just two runs from Cutting's over. Pressure being created here.
Zahir Khan breaks the partnership. Castles Delport with a well-disguised googly. The left-hander was having some trouble reading the chinaman exponent. This time, he is cut in half.
Shahzad makes room for himself and upper-cuts to collect a boundary. To go alongside his fancy shots, he is also rotating the strike deftly. This man is not all brawn.
Shahzad looking to give himself room whilst trying to negate Mujeeb's angle. Interesting tactics from the explosive opener. Meanwhile, Cameron Delport finishes the over with a couple of delightful boundaries. Expensive over from the 17-year old.
Maximum! Ihsanullah Janat sets the tone with a towering six. Hitting through the line and sending the ball sailing into the stands. Early indications suggest this could be a better pitch than yesterday's sluggish tracks.
Paktia Panthers are 11/0 at the end of the first over
Nangarhar Leopards Playing XI: Najeeb Tarakai, Johnson Charles, Anton Devcich, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Shafiqullah Shafiq (wk), Ben Cutting (c), Mitchell McClenaghan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Zahir Khan
Paktia Panthers Playing XI: Mohammad Shahzad (c) (wk), Ihsanullah Janat, Cameron Delport, Sikandar Raza, Samiullah Shenwari, Shahid Afridi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Isuru Udana, Zia-ur-Rehman, Azmatullah Omarzai and Yousuf Zazai
Nangarhar Leopards and Paktia Panthers will begin today's APL action by squaring off against each other at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. While the former are coming into the game on the back of a comprehensive victory against Kandahar Knights, the latter must still be wondering as to how they had managed to lose despite amassing 218 against Kabul Zwanan.
Led by Ben Cutting, the Leopards looked impressive in their opening match. The stand-in skipper played a decisive role by picking up a hat-trick. He will be eager to further his adaptability on these sluggish pitches. Mujeeb Ur Rahman's presence should keep the opposition batsmen on tenterhooks.
If Mohammad Shahzad gets going, we can expect some fireworks from the Panthers. While he was his usual attacking self in the batting department, his captaincy left a lot to be desired in the contest against Kabul. The team management may also look to bolster their bowling arsenal.
Squads
Nangarhar Leopards Ben Cutting (c), Andre Russell, Andre Fletcher, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Shafiqullah Shafaq (wk), Najib Tarakai, Mitchell McClenaghan, Anton Devcich, Johnson Charles, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Imran Janat, Rahmat Shah, Ibrahim Zadran, Naveen-ul-Haq, Zahir Khan, Sandeep Lamichhane, Fazal Haq, Nasrat Qureshi and Khaibar Omar
