Shpageeza Cricket League

[The Professor]

Ibrahim Zadran continued to put pressure on Pamir’s poor season. After the bottom of the table team posted their highest total of the tournament – 171-3 – their bowlers then failed to put up any pressure. Zadran’s breezy 55 ball 91 was the best example of this as their win takes the up to 3rd on the table and Zadran himself up to the highest run scorer after 5 games. He has bagged 257 runs @ 85.66.

Kabul have moved level on points with Speen Ghar who recorded a convincing win of their own yesterday. After winning the choice and deciding to bat first, Speen Ghar put on 197 – the highest total of the tournament. Hindukush gave it a good go but went too hard too soon and slumped to an embarrassing all out total of 87. Speen Ghar’s bowler Sharafuddin Asharaf registered the most impressive looking figures of 3.1-1-7-3. Despite not taking a wicket in Boost’s game yesterday, Zia-ur-Rehman is still the highest wicket taker.

[The Professor]

And just like that the group stages of this tournament are over.

Boost’s qualification has been a dead cert since about half way through the tournament but Speen Ghar have underlined that they are no push over in their final two games. In their penultimate game they registered the highest tournament score up to that point and then shattered it in their final game today – registering 214-4 against Band-e-Amir. They will face off against Boost tomorrow to qualify directly for Friday’s final.

Mis Ainak slipped into the final qualification place today courtesy of an emphatic win against whipping boys Hindukush who have only won a solitary game this year. Allah Mohammad’s 4-15 limited Hindukush to 104, which Mis Ainak chase down in 8 overs, and swung their NRR above Amo’s. Their first mission is to beat Kabul tomorrow to get into the second qualifier. Kabul themselves have ended with a high as their talismanic batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz got the highest individual score of the tournament – and at some lick too. His 121* against Hindukush (them again) came off just 48 balls. This moves him to the top of the run scoring charts. Boost’s Zia-ur-Rehman still has the best figures for a bowler with 12 @ 10.5.

[The Professor]

The problem with the IPL style of Knockout rounds in T20 competitions is that it too often goes exactly to form. This is exactly what has happened here. 1st played second in the first qualifier, 3rd beat 4th and then 2nd beat 3rd to make the final a repeat of the first qualifier; namely Boost vs Speen Ghar.

Unfortunately, today’s final qualifier wasn’t even marginally close. After putting on 140-9, Kabul were all out for 77. This represents the 3rd largest margin of victory by runs in the tournament. Najbullah Zadran helped Speen Ghar to turn it round from an uninspiring powerplay. He eventually top-scored on the day with 67* off 47. This sees him knock Kabul’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz off the top of the run-scoring table as we approach Friday’s final.

When you get a team out for fewer than a hundred runs there will always be a player with very favourable bowling figures; today that was Faeed Ahmed who got 3-15 – the 13th best figures of the tournament. Kabul and Kent’s Qais Ahmed got 2-23 earlier in the day which takes him to the top of the wicket tally – but Yamin Ahmadzai needs just 2 in the final to overtake him at the last.

[The Professor]

Speen Ghar hit their straps at just the right time to spring a surprise on Boost and claim the Shpageeza Cricket League Trophy 2022.

The only games they have lost this season have been against Boost, twice in the group stages and again in Qualifier 1 – but they got the victory when it matters most. Their first innings total of 188-4 is the fourth highest of the tournament and always looked a challenge for Boost who have never achieved higher than 182 in the tournament. This challenge was only expedited by the fact they went on to lose wickets in clusters throughout their chase. The first cluster was in the opening overs where they were 7-2. Hashmatullah Shahidi then held things together but Boost never got their worm wiggling anywhere close to Speen Ghar’s. Hashmatullah’s 55 ball 90 is the third highest total of the tournament and sees him overtake two batters who started the day with more runs and finish as the highest run-scorer (411 @ 58.71). Qais Ahmed ended the tournament with the best bowling figures with 14 wickets at an average of 14.07.