Winter Watch (w/e 24 Feb): Rashid Khan breaks world record with Afghanistan
Our overseas star, Rashid Khan enjoyed a record-breaking weekend with his country as Afghanistan claimed an emphatic T20I series win over Ireland.
Afghanistan began the series with a five-wicket win in Dehradun on Thursday, and Khan impresssed with the ball to claim the wickets of Stuart Thompson and Shane Getkate to finish with figures of 2-21 from his four overs, before Mohammad Nabi sealed the victory with an unbeaten 49.
On Saturday night, Khan was once again in brilliant form, taking 4-25 to dismiss Andy Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker, George Duckrell and Getkate again, but his performance was somewhat overshadowed by Hazratullah Zazai. The batsman smashed 162 off just 62 balls, with 11 fours and a staggering 16 sixes, as Afghanistan broke the world record for the highest score in a T20I, with a total of 278, and won by 84 runs.
However, if Khan's wickets were overshadowed on Saturday night, he was the star of the show on Sunday with an incredible performance and figures of 5-27 from his four overs.
Rashid was in imperious form, taking a hat-trick, before he became the first bowler to take four wickets from four balls in an T20I with his very next delivery. His fifth wicket completed an amazing performance and sealed Afghanistan a 3-0 series win.
David Wiese was also in T20 action, making his debut in the Pakistan Super League for Lahore Qalandars on Friday night against Laurie Evans' Multan Sultans. Wiese played an integral role in the team's first win of the tournament, forming an excellent partnership with fellow countryman AB De Villiers.
The Sultans batted first, with Evans scoring eight as his side set their opponents a daunting 201 to win. After Sohail Akhtar and Salman Butt departed early, the Qalandars looked like they had it all to do, but as soon as de Villiers was joined at the crease by Wiese, the South African duo only had victory in their sights.
de Villiers hit 52 off 29, and Wiese scored an unbeaten 45 from 20 balls - including a match-winning six off the last delivery – to win the game and spark amazing scenes!
Wiese was in action for the Qalandars again on Saturday night, scoring 20 off 16 deliveries and finishing with figures of 1-37, but this time his side were on the receiving end of a last-ball defeat, as Quetta Gladiators sealed a three-wicket win.
🤯 Scenes in @thePSLt20! @David_Wiese smashed 45 off 20 balls - including this match-winning six - to help @lahoreqalandars beat the Sultans by six wickets! 👏pic.twitter.com/zsmhSmUChn
— Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) February 22, 2019
England Women got their tour of India underway on Friday with an ODI in Mumbai, with three Sussex Women in the starting XI. After winning the toss, England put India into bat, and Heather Knight’s side did well to restrict their hosts to a slow start.
Georgia Elwiss claimed the early wicket of opener Smriti Mandhana. and then India’s captain, Mithali Raj, before Sarah Taylor combined with Sophie Ecclestone to stump Deepti Sharma.
Eventually, India scored a total of 202, but England struggled to ever get going in their chase with Taylor scoring 10, Elwiss scoring six and Danni Wyatt scoring one.
In the second ODI on Monday, England batted first but India bowled well again to restrict the tourists to 161, with Taylor scoring one and Elwiss out for a duck.
During India’s innings, Elwiss and Taylor combined to stump Punam Raut, which was the wicket-keeper’s 50th ODI stumping. Sadly, the hosts completed their chase with eight overs to spare.
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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) February 25, 2019
Today @Sarah_Taylor30 made her 50th ODI stumping 🙌
Sarah's glovework is ________ pic.twitter.com/qjfsWnar8X
Saturday saw the conclusion of the penultimate round of matches in the Victorian Premier Cricket club competition. After his superb 197 not out last weekend, Luke Wells was in the field for Casey South Melbourne on the second and final day of their match against Essendon at Casey Fields on Saturday. Luke bowled 12 overs for 58 runs as the visitors overhauled Casey’s score of 396-4 for the loss of three wickets to record a first-innings victory.
In the same competition, George Garton was dismissed for a duck as his Northcote side were dismissed for 275 and thus fell short of the 319 first-innings target set for them by Carlton on the previous Saturday.
With one round of matches to go of the regular season, Casey-South Melbourne sit in twelfth place seven points off eighth place and the last of the quarter final spots. They will need a rare outright win to be in with any chance of qualifying for the knock-out rounds. Northcote are in fifteenth place with twenty points.
Over in South Australia, Michael Burgess was part of the Adelaide University side that lost to East Torrens. Having posted 379-9 the previous weekend, Adelaide University then bowled out their visitors for 266 to take a first innings victory. In a bid to force an outright win and take maximum points, AUCC then forfeited their second innings, leaving the opposition a target of 114. East Torrens made it across the line in 21.1 overs having lost six wickets.
The 20 points AUCC received for their superior first innings score keeps them in contention for a semi-final spot. With one round of matches remaining, the team are in fifth position level on 140 points with fourth-placed Glenelg.
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