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THREE wickets each for Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan set up a 54-run victory for Afghanistan over Zimbabwe in the second one-day international cricket match at Harare Sports Club yesterday. Opener Solomon Mire top-scored for Zimbabwe with 54, but no other batsman could cope with the visitors’ bowling attack as they were bowled out for 184 in the 43rd over. Nabi and Rashid finished with 3-38 and 3-25 respectively. Earlier, Zimbabwe pegged Afghanistan back to 238 for nine, after the visitors opted to bat.

Mohammad Shahzad (64) and Rahmat Shah (53) added 84 for the second wicket, but the hosts kept chipping away at the wickets to keep the run rate down. Najibullah Zadran hit 45 down the order but did not find the support he needed to really push along.

Tendai Chatara finished with 3-36 off his 10 overs.

Mire and PJ Moor provided strong foundation at the top with Mire the chief destroyer amassing almost a run-a-ball 54 that was followed by two quick wickets which pegged Zimbabwe back but Craig Ervine and Bryan Burl controlled the middle innings somewhat with a 54 run fourth wicket and then Zimbabwe lost six wickets for 39 runs from there.

Afghanistan spinners Khan and Nabi grabbed 3 wickets apiece, Gulbadin Naib and A Hamza got 2 each to scuttle Zimbabwe for 184 inside 42.1 overs. The visitors now hold a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

ZIMBABWE: H Masakadza, PJ Moor (wk), CR Ervine, RP Burl, TK Musakanda, MN Waller, SF Mire, AG Cremer (capt), R Ngarava, CB Mpofu, TL Chatara

AFGHANISTAN: Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Noor Ali Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Asghar Stanikzai (capt), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, Gulbadin Naib, Dawlat Zadran — Supersport.com