Arnos Vale, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Gulbadin Naib was Afghanistan’s man with the golden arm, bowling his team to a tense 21-run victory over previously unbeaten Australia in a Group One Super Eight encounter of the T20 World Cup at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St. Vincent on Saturday.
Set a target of 149, Glenn Maxwell (59 off 41 balls, six fours, three sixes) kept the Test and One-Day champions on course until he became Gulbadin’s third wicket in the 15th over, opening the door to a result which keeps the duel for semifinal spots alive going into the final two fixtures in the group on Monday.
Gulbadin finished with four for 20 from his four overs of medium pace to turn the match as Australia suffered their first-ever defeat to the Afghans in a senior international encounter, being dismissed for 127 with four balls left in the match.
Earlier, Pat Cummins claimed his second hat-trick in as many matches as Afghanistan lost momentum after another century opening stand from Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, settling for a total of 148 for six after being put in.
Both teams are on two points after two games — with Australia facing Group One leaders India in their final match while Afghanistan play Bangladesh, who have lost both their Super Eights games.
Afghanistan stun Australia with 21-run T20 World Cup win
https://arab.news/r9uhz
Afghanistan stun Australia with 21-run T20 World Cup win
- Gulbadin Naib was Afghanistan’s man with the golden arm, bowling his team to tense 21-run victory over unbeaten Australia
- Both teams are on two points after two games, with Australia facing Group One leaders India in their final match
Dubai Basketball complete perfect weekend with 2 away wins
- Victories in the EuroLeague (Anadolu Efes Istanbul) and ABA League (SC Derby) respectively
- Team will host Armani Milan for round 18 of the EuroLeague at Coca-Cola Arena on Tuesday
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball capped off an outstanding week on the road in Europe with two statement victories, ahead of their return home to Coca-Cola Arena on Dec. 23 for round 18 of the EuroLeague.
The team opened the weekend in Istanbul with a dramatic 76-80 EuroLeague win over Anadolu Efes on Friday night, before travelling to Podgorica to extend their unbeaten run in the ABA League with a composed 67-80 victory against SC Derby on Sunday.
The wins mark a defining moment in Dubai Basketball’s season, following their first home defeat against Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv.
Friday’s EuroLeague clash in Istanbul tested Dubai Basketball’s composure. After trailing by double digits in the third quarter, the team mounted a comeback, staying disciplined in a tense fourth quarter.
McKinley Wright delivered a standout performance, proving to be one of the team’s most pivotal players in just his first season. The victory marked Dubai’s second EuroLeague road win of the season, both achieved in Istanbul.
Just two days later, Dubai Basketball continued their perfect start to Group A with a ninth consecutive win. Against SC Derby, the visitors absorbed early pressure before gradually asserting control.
A decisive stretch after halftime created separation, allowing Dubai to manage the closing stages comfortably and preserve their record as the league’s only unbeaten team.
The successful road trip now sets the stage for a EuroLeague showdown on Tuesday against Italian giants EA7 Emporio Armani Milan at Coca-Cola Arena.
