APL 2018, Match 17, Balkh Legends vs Nangarhar Leopards Review: Leopards remain favorites to seal the final playoff berth

With a stunning performance against the table-toppers, Nangarhar Leopards managed to remain in contention for a place in the playoffs of the APL 2018. A low-scoring thriller enthralled the fans in Sharjah and eventually, some blitzkrieg from Shafiqullah helped them get to the target with two overs remaining.

Batting first, the legends lost both their openers inside the first powerplay. Dilshan Munaweera, who came in place of Chris Gayle, was dismissed in the second over. Colin Munro and Darwish Rasooli stitched a 43-run stand before both the players got dismissed in a span of two deliveries.

Ryan ten Doeschate and Ravi Bopara did the consolidation work in the middle overs and used their experience to great effect. Thanks to their perseverance, they reached the 100-run mark and were eyeing a total in excess of 150. But some quick wickets halted the run flow and put the Leopards back on top.

Mirwais Ashraf chipped in with an 11-ball 17 towards the end as they ended up with a below par 133 runs on board losing seven wickets. Naveen-ul-Haq, Niazai and Zahir Khan chipped in with braces for the Leopards.

Fletcher gives a solid start; Shafiqullah finishes off in style

Chasing such targets always creates some doubts in the team. They often get confused if they have to go all guns blazing or approach the target sensibly. Andre Fletcher took the dangerous route and went berserk in the first few overs, eventually killing all the Legends’ hopes of registering their 6th win.

The Caribbean opener smashed 6 sixes and 2 fours in his 22-ball 48. He added a 61-run partnership in 37 balls with Anton Devcich, before getting dismissed exactly after the powerplay was completed. Qais Ahmad then removed Anton Devcich, Johnson Charles and Rahmat Shah in quick succession to put the Legends on top.

The game was taking an interesting turn and it seemed like Mohammad Nabi’s side might pull off something spectacular. But Hashmatullah Shahidi and Shafiqullah registered an unbeaten 51-run stand for the 5th wicket and took their side home.

Nangahar chased the total with 2 overs remaining and finished their group stage campaign with 3 wins in 8 games. If Kandahar loses their game against Paktia, they will confirm their place in the semifinals. If not, they might have to face some nervous drama on Thursday.

Brief Scores

Balkh Legends: 133/7 in 20 overs (Ravi Bopara 35; Naveen-ul-Haq 2/21, Zahir Khan 2/24)

Nangarhar Leopards: 134/4 in 18 overs (Andre Fletcher 48, Hashmatullah Shahidi 31*)

Player of the match: Andre Fletcher

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