Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan, One-off Test - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Brad Evans to Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, out Bowled!! Fifer for Brad Evans and the innings is done too. A searing inswinging yorker and it's at the toes of Ziaur Rahman Sharifi, he can't keep it out, past the bat as it comes down, flicks the back boot I think and then uproots off-stump. Cracker that and no wonder Brad Evans is pumped. He is roaring in delight. Ziaur Rahman Sharifi b Brad Evans 0(1)

Brad Evans to Khalil Gurbaz, out Caught by Tafadzwa Tsiga!! Right at Khalil Gurbaz and this time he edges it behind. Rising at the batter who is backing away to leg, right at his face, he can only feather it to Tafadzwa Tsiga. Clear edge and Brad Evans has four. That was well-directed and Gurbaz had no clue to that one. Khalil Gurbaz c Tafadzwa Tsiga b Brad Evans 2(13)

Muzarabani to Ahmadzai, FOUR, in the air but wide of backward point. It's short of length outside off, Ahmadzai punches and it flies to the left of backward point who leaps to his left, but it slips away as it lands short, runs away for four

Muzarabani to Ahmadzai, FOUR, thick outside-edge and flies over the slip cordon. A rising short of length delivery outside off, Ahmadzai pushes at it and the thick outside-edge helps, just had enough to carry over the outstretched right hand

Brad Evans to Sharafuddin Ashraf, out Caught by Tanaka Chivanga!! Good catch that from mid-off. Chivanga goes to his left and dives to snaffle that just inches from the turf. Length delivery outside off, Sharafuddin Ashraf gets forward to loft, totally miscues it and it seems to be landing safely till Chivanga came into the picture. Fine catch that and wickets falling in a heap for Afghanistan. Sharafuddin Ashraf c Tanaka Chivanga b Brad Evans 0(3)

Muzarabani to Ismat Alam, out Caught by Tafadzwa Tsiga!! Appeal for a caught behind down leg. Given by umpire Nitin Menon. Ismat Alam doesn't want to go. But he has to. No DRS here. It's a short of length delivery down leg, Ismat Alam flicks and did he glove or feather that? The finger went up very quickly. Need technology to detect if there was anything on this. Ismat Alam c Tafadzwa Tsiga b Muzarabani 8(16) [4s-1]

Muzarabani to Bahir Shah, out Caught by Brian Bennett!! Caught at gully. A tentative poke that. A rising short of length delivery outside off, Bahir Shah pokes away fromt the body, low percentage shot that and he gives Bennett a sharp chance to his left, who dives and reverse-cups well. That was travelling and he took it two-handed. Early wicket after lunch for Zimbabwe. Bahir Shah c Brian Bennett b Muzarabani 12(30) [4s-1]

Muzarabani to Ismat Alam, FOUR, nicely done. It's a short of length delivery outside off, Ismat Alam goes on the back foot and punches nicely wide of both gully and backward point, open face too

Muzarabani to Bahir Shah, FOUR, nicely played, back of a length and well wide of off - Shah rides the bounce and steers it backward of square on the off-side, runs away to the point boundary

Brad Evans to Zazai, out Caught by Tafadzwa Tsiga!! Edged and Tafadzwa Tsiga completes a fine one-handed catch, diving to his right. Afghanistan are crumbling on the first morning - was a back of a length delivery outside off and held its line, Zazai didn't need to play at that, but he's strode forward and that makes him feel for the ball, the outside edge is found and it goes low to the keeper's right - Tafadzwa Tsiga dives across, goes one-handed and takes it cleanly, inches above the turf. Second wicket of the over and the hosts have edged ahead. Zazai c Tafadzwa Tsiga b Brad Evans 1(3)

Brad Evans to Shahidi, out Caught by Nick Welch!! .. and he strikes immediately, pitched up in that channel wide of off - held its line and lured Shahidi into the big drive, he can't resist and goes with hard hands, the bottom-hand comes off and he has no control over the shot. the edge flies to the left of gully where Welch threw himself and completed a fine two-handed catch. Fourth wicket inside the first session and Zimbabwe are fighting back with vigour. Shahidi c Nick Welch b Brad Evans 7(14) [4s-1]

Ngarava to Shahidi, 1 run, Ngarava shortens the length around off, tucked past square leg for a single

Brad Evans to Shahidi, FOUR, cracking shot, too full and too wide of off - Shahidi gets a big stride onto the drive and crashes it square past cover-point, rolls away to the ropes

Tanaka Chivanga to Abdul Malik, out Abdul Malik Run Out!! Oh dear! A massive mix-up, both batters end up at the same end and Malik has been sold down the river by his captain, he throws himself on the dive, but he's yards short of the ground. OUT and Afghanistan lose their third wicket. A waste of a wicket and the set batters departs - was a yorker length delivery on off and Malik squeezed it to the off-side, the ball rolled towards cover and he set-off for a quick single, his partner responded and then stopped, Malik stalled and then continued to run, but Shahidi has already turned his back onto him. Welch picks up the ball, has a look and then lobs the throw to the keeper - Tafadzwa Tsiga made his way to the stumps and broke the stumps, catching Malik well short despite his dramatic dive. Abdul Malik run out (Nick Welch/Tafadzwa Tsiga) 30(40) [4s-2]

Brad Evans to Abdul Malik, FOUR, thumped, banged in short by Evans - but there's hardly any venom on it, Malik swivels across, rolls his wrists and pulls it past square leg for a boundary

Tanaka Chivanga to Gurbaz, out Caught by Raza!! A poor shot and Zimbabwe have their second wicket. Was pitched up in that corridor outside off - Gurbaz was always playing his shots, took a couple of steps down the pitch, his eyes lit up as he shaped for the big drive, but he ended up slicing it in the air and straight down Raza's throat at backward point - a reverse cupped catch and the partnership has been broken. Gurbaz c Raza b Tanaka Chivanga 37(37) [4s-3]

Tanaka Chivanga to Abdul Malik, FOUR, hammered, fraction too short from Chivanga - Malik stays on the front-foot, swivels across and then hammers it in front of square on the on-side, beats mid-wicket to his left and races away

Tanaka Chivanga to Abdul Malik, 1 run, another direct hit at the striker's end, the 3rd umpire has been brought into action once again - nudged in front of square on the on-side and they were off for a quick single - the fielder swooped onto the ball and did look excited, but Gurbaz has comfortably made his ground

Muzarabani to Gurbaz, FOUR, cheeky and four, back of a length and well wide of off - Gurbaz arches back, opens the face of the bat and then runs it over slips, bounces away to the ropes in a hurry

Tanaka Chivanga to Gurbaz, FOUR, edged and four, Gurbaz gets lucky - hit the deck with this short ball and gets it to climb onto the right-hander - Gurbaz was fending at that, lobbed off the shoulder and over the slip cordon

Ngarava to Gurbaz, FOUR, nicely played, Ngarava overpitches as he went searching for swing, turns out to be a full-toss and it's driven past the diving Taylor at mid-off for a boundary

Muzarabani to Ibrahim Zadran, out Caught by Nick Welch!! Edged and caught! Muzarabani strikes for Zimbabwe, but this is a poor shot from Zadran - back of a length and well wide of off, straightened onto the right-hander, but Zadran plays a nothing shot, a half-hearted poke away from his body, gets a thick edge and it flies to Nick Welch at third slip - a simple catch and the home team have struck early. Ibrahim Zadran c Nick Welch b Muzarabani 19(23) [4s-4]

Muzarabani to Ibrahim Zadran, FOUR, creamed, overpitched by Muzarabani - width on offer as well, Malik leans into the drive and places it into the gap past cover-point, the timing is sweet and the ball rolls away to the ropes

Ngarava to Ibrahim Zadran, FOUR, beautifully played, pitched up by Ngarava - Zadran leans across, presents the full face of the bat and then plays the on-drive, straight of mid-on and the ball races away to the ropes

Ngarava to Ibrahim Zadran, FOUR, back-to-back boundaries for Zadran - fraction short and wide of off, he rides the bounce, plays with an open face and finds the gap behind square on the off-side - beats backward point to his left and runs away

Ngarava to Ibrahim Zadran, FOUR, lovely shot, short of a good length and well wide of off - Zadran gets on top of the bounce, the balance is perfect as he punches it in front of square on the off-side for a boundary

Ngarava to Abdul Malik, 1 run, a direct hit at the striker's end and the 3rd umpire will have a look - on a good length and just outside off, Malik dropped it wide of cover-point and called for a quick single - the fielder swooped onto the ball and nailed the stumps, but Ibrahim Zadran had backed up well and he's beaten the throw with ease - NOT OUT is the call