CRICKET – BAHRAIN produced a spirited performance to defeat Qatar by four wickets yesterday in their five-match T20I series at West End Park international Cricket Stadium in Doha.
The result reduced Qatar’s series lead to 3-1 with one match remaining.
Batting first after Bahrain won the toss, Qatar looked destined for a total of around 160 after slipping to 125/5 in the 15th over. However, a stunning late assault from Muhammad Asim and Shahzeb Afridi transformed the innings. Asim played the anchor role to perfection, remaining unbeaten on 55 off just 38 balls – a knock that included two boundaries and two sixes. But the real damage came from the blade of Afridi, whose unbeaten 20-ball 35 featured three towering sixes that sent the ball deep into the stands.
The pair added an unbroken 62 runs off the final 32 balls, propelling Qatar to an imposing 187/5.
Earlier, Mirza Mohammed provided the initial fireworks with a rapid 31 off 15 deliveries, while Zubair Ali contributed a steady 24. For Bahrain, spinner Muhammad Salman was the standout bowler, conceding just 19 runs in his four overs – an economy rate of 4.75 that kept the visitors in check during the middle overs. Ali Asif picked up two wickets, though his two-over spell cost 27 runs.
If Qatar’s late surge had seized momentum, Bahrain took it right back inside the powerplay. Opening the batting, Asif launched a breathtaking assault on the Qatari bowlers. His 39 runs came from just 21 balls – and incredibly, not a single boundary. All five of his scoring shots that reached the rope cleared it, as he repeatedly dispatched the ball over the infield. His opening stand of 69 with Prashant Kurup (31 off 23) laid the perfect foundation.
Fiaz Ahmed (37 off 30) and Sohail Ahmed (28 off 22) then kept the chase on track with sensible batting, rotating strike and punishing loose deliveries. The required rate never spiraled, thanks largely to a miserly spell from Qatar’s Daniel Archer, whose three overs cost just 12 runs and yielded the crucial wicket of Fiaz Ahmed.
With 17 needed off the final three overs, Ahmer Nasir walked in and finished in style. The big-hitting middle-order batter remained unbeaten on 19 off just eight balls, smashing two fours and a six to seal the victory with 17 balls to spare.
Asif was named the Player of the Match for his all-round contribution. “It was important to start well after losing the first three matches,” he said after the game. “The pitch was good for batting, and I just wanted to give us a flying start. The plan was to take it deep, and the middle order finished beautifully.”
The fifth and final T20I will be played at the same venue tomorrow.
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