Afghanistan and the Netherlands are set to lock horns in the second game of the three-match ODI series on Sunday, January 23. The match will take place at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha. Afghanistan, captained by Hashmatullah Shahidi, made an impressive start to their campaign in the 50-over series. On Friday, January 21, they defeated the Netherlands by 36 runs to take a crucial 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
After being sent in to bat first, the Afghans could only manage to score 222 for the loss of eight wickets in 50 overs. Skipper Shahidi top-scored for them with a 94-ball-73, decorated with four fours and a couple of hits into the stands.
Rahmat Shah made 70 runs off 102 balls with three fours and two sixes. Brandon Glover was the pick of the Netherlands bowlers with three wickets for 43 runs. Fred Klaasen was also impressive as he picked up three wickets and also bowled a maiden.Vivian Kingma, Phillippe Boissevain and Colin Ackermann picked up one wicket apiece. Skipper Pieter Seelaar couldn’t make a breakthrough, but kept a check on the run-scoring.
The Netherlands looked steady in their run-chase and seemed set to secure victory. Scott Edwards and Seelaar put on 51 runs for the fourth wicket to steady the ship for the Dutch team after Musa Ahmed, Ackermann and Bas de Leede perished in quick succession.
Edwards was the standout batter for the Netherlands as he made 68 runs off 82 balls with the help of eight fours. But once Mujeeb Ur Rahman rattled his woodwork in the 31st over, the Dutch batting collapsed and lost their last six wickets for just 65 runs.
Seelaar scored 32 runs, but played at a strike rate of 46.38 before Yamin Ahmadzai castled him. The rest of the Netherlands’ batters failed to put up much of a fight. The Netherlands, in the end, were shot out for 186 in 48 overs. Rashid Khan was the standout Afghan bowler with three wickets for 31 runs. Mujeeb and Ahmadzai got two wickets apiece.
AFG VS NL TEAM PREVIEWS
AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan will be happy that it won the previous match but we do not think it will be pleased with its own effort with the bat. Rahmanullah Gurbaz started with a bit of intent but fell cheaply and from then on, not many of the batsmen seemed concerned about the scoring rate.
Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi both scored attractive fifties that also included a couple of big hits each but neither of them could convert that into a hundred. The middle and lower order did not put up much resistance and it was maybe because of this that the top order took its time.
We think Afghanistan is going to approach its next inning pretty similarly. It will allow the batsmen to take their team and just try to get to a par total so that the bowlers can do their thing.
Mujeeb ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, and Yamin Ahmadzai were all excellent in the previous match. They used the conditions brilliantly and just kept piling on the pressure on the opposition. This superiority in the bowling department is the biggest advantage that Afghanistan has.
NETHERLANDS
The Netherlands would have been happy at restricting Afghanistan to a very obtainable total in the previous match but their batting let them down. Scott Edwards played very well for his 68 but the rest of the batsmen struggled on a slow and sluggish surface. The positives for the Netherlands have to be the bowling of Fred Klaassen and Brandon Glover, both of whom really imposed themselves on the Afghanistan batting lineup, as well as the fact that most of its batsmen got a start.
MATCH DETAILS:
Afghanistan vs Netherlands, 2nd ODI
Venue: West End Park International Cricket Stadium, Doha
Date & Time: January 23rd at 12:30 PM IST and 10 AM Local Time
PITCH REPORT
The previous match was the first international game at this venue. The pitch is expected to support spinners which showed in the first match. The team winning the toss should look to bowl.
TODAY’S MATCH PREDICTION: AFGHANISTAN TO WIN THE MATCH.
