2.2 OUT! TAKEN! Rahmanullah Gurbaz tries to go big again, but holes out instead! Ayush Shukla gets a big breakthrough for Hong Kong, China. Shukla just rolls his finger and bowls the off-cutter, full and around off. Gurbaz comes down the track again to loft it down the ground. However, this time he doesn't quite get to the pitch and goes through the shot very early as well. Gets a bit of a top edge as the ball flies high in the air behind mid off. Nizakat Khan tracks backwards a bit, settles under it, and takes a nice reverse cup catch. Gurbaz's lean patch continues, as he departs for 8 (5) and Afghanistan are 25/1! 25/1

3.2 OUT! EDGED AND GONE! This is a dream start for Hong Kong, China! Ateeq Iqbal strikes now and gets the in-form batter here. He lands this on a good length and around off again, shapes away a bit. Ibrahim Zadran gets tempted and goes for the big drive on the up, but only manages to get a thin outside edge behind, where Zeeshan Ali takes a sharp catch to his right. It is even better as he is standing up to the stumps. Never easy to pluck those catches. Zadran walks back for 1 off 4, and Afghanistan are 26/2 now! 26/2

10.1 OUT! CAUGHT! Kinchit Shah strikes off his first delivery! He pushes it quicker across the air, bowls it on a nagging length and outside off. Mohammad Nabi backs away and swings through to clear the long off fielder. But fails to get the desired connection on that, as he holes out to an easy catch for Nizakat Khan at long off, who comes forward a bit to grab it. Mohammad Nabi walks back after scoring 33 (26), and the budding 51-run stand has been broken now. 77/3

13 OUT! STRAIGHT UP AND TAKEN! Excellent spin bowling from Hong Kong, China. Kinchit Shah gets his second wicket and this is a huge one in the game's context! Kinchit dishes out a fuller delivery, from around-the-wicket angle. Lands it around off, sliding across the batter, but very slow through the air. Gulbadin Naib gets lured in the flight, does not get to the pitch of the ball and tries to tonk it over the bowler. Gets deceived by the lack of pace, and only manages to slice it over mid off. Yasim Murtaza from mid off, moves to his right and takes an easy catch. Gulbadin Naib departs for 5 (8) and Afghanistan are 95/4. 95/4

18.5 OUT! HIGH UP AND GONE! TAKEN! Ayush Shukla gets his second wicket and is pumped up to bits! Another slower delivery, outside the off stump, on a fuller length. Azmatullah Omarzai swings for the hills, to go up and over the leg side, but gets beaten by the lack of pace. Is through his shot early, and toe ends it high up in the air. The ball hangs up for an eternity, toward long on. Aizaz Khan from the deep runs in a few yards, locks his eyes on the ball and takes a well-judged catch. Azmatullah Omarzai departs for a blistering 53 off just 21 deliveries. Afghanistan are 177/5 in 18.5 overs. 177/5

19.4 OUT! GONE! CAUGHT! Ehsan Khan finally gets a reward for his miserly bowling. Flatter delivery, full and on the stumps. Karim Janat clears the front leg to sail it over long on, but does not quite properly get his bat under the ball and swings through. Airs the ball off the toe end and it sails only as far as Nizakat Khan stationed at long on. Karim Janat departs on 2 (3) and Afghanistan are 184/6. 184/6

2 OUT! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! After doing wonders with the bat, Omarzai strikes gold with the ball as well. He lands this on the fuller side, and gets the ball to curve away from middle. Zeeshan Ali tries to work it leg side, but does not account for the ball shaping late, and ends up chipping it off the leading edge. Mohammad Nabi from mid on runs to his left and takes a good running catch. A soft, soft dismissal for Ali. Both Hong Kong, China openers are back in the hut, in the first couple of overs! Zeeshan Ali goes for 5 (6) and Hong Kong, China are 12/2, needing 177 runs! 12/2

0.2 OUT! EDGED AND CAUGHT BEHIND! Anshy Rath looks skeptical and has a bit of a chat with his partner, but eventually, starts his long walk back to the dugout. Afghanistan get their first wicket in the very first over. Fazalhaq Farooqi lands it on a back of a length, and gets the ball to shape away from the fourth stump line. Anshy Rath without any foot movement, hangs his bat away from the body and pushes at it. Only manages to get a faint graze off the glove and Rahmanullah Gurbaz does the rest behind the wickets. A regulation catch for him. Anshy Rath departs on a golden duck and Hong Kong, China are 1/1, needing 188 runs! Oh..wow! The replay and UltraEdge after the ball show that there is a big gap between bat and ball, and the spike is also after the ball has passed the bat. Rath is furious in the hut and will not be happy with his opening partner, who insisted that he had nicked it. 1/1

12.5 OUT! TAKEN IN THE DEEP! Gulbadin Naib gets among the wickets now! He bangs this into the pitch, on off. Babar Hayat stays back and looks to pull it away but the ball gets a bit big on him. It takes the top edge and flies towards deep mid-wicket. Sediqullah Atal runs forward and to his right, sits on his knee and takes a fine catch with the ball dying on him a bit. Hayat departs for a gritty 39 off 43, and Hong Kong, China are 63/6, still needing 126 runs in 43 balls. 63/6

2.2 RUN OUT! Oh, dear! This is the last thing Hong Kong, China would have wanted! Full delivery, on off, Babar Hayat gets on the front foot and drives it firmly, but straight to mid off. Nizakat tries to pinch in a single, but is sent back by Babar. There is a direct hit at the non-striker's end from Rashid Khan. Oh, hang on! This is really closer than it appears and the on-field umpires have sent it upstairs for a run out check. Looks like Nizakat Khan's bat is marginally outside the crease. The zoomer comes in and confirms that Nizakat is just short of his crease. He departs without facing a single delivery and Hong Kong, China are tottering at 13/3, needing 176 runs! 13/3

4.3 OUT! RUN OUT! All going south for Hong Kong, China here! Azmatullah Omarzai can do nothing wrong this evening! Swings back in from off, on a fuller length, on middle. Kalhan Challu is hurried and drives straight back to the bowler, off the inside half of the bat. Azmatullah Omarzai collects the ball to his right and, seeing Challu out of the crease after playing the shot, he releases a flat throw in a motion, towards the batting end. Scores a direct hit as the stumps are smashed with Kalhan Challu trying to turn around. He dives and stretches his hand to drag his bat inside the popping crease. However, the side-on replay shows that Challu's bat is marginally in the air, while the stumps are hit. Kalhan Challu departs for 4 (8) and Hong Kong, China are 22/4. 22/4

9.5 OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! CAUGHT! Karim Janat redeems himself with a screamer of a catch! Quicker leg break on middle, and the length is a bit fullish. In fact, this is a googly, and he pulls the length by a yard or so, forcing the batter to reach for it. Kinchit Shah takes a huge stride forward and tries to sweep it. Goes through the shot, playing it aerially, to the right of deep fine leg. Gets neither the elevation nor the required distance. Karim Janat from deep fine leg runs across to his right, flings himself towards the ball and plucks a fantastic diving catch. Slides on the ground but sustains the ball in his hands. Kinchit Shah departs on 6 (10) and Hong Kong, China are 43/5 down now, needong 146 runs off 61 balls. 43/5

18.4 OUT! LBW! Gulbadin Naib has two now! He cleverly takes all the pace off and bowls a leg-cutter, full and on middle, spins in a bit too. Yasim Murtaza crouches low to swipe across the line but gets beaten by the lack of pace and goes decades early through the shot. The ball thumps him on the back thigh right in front of the stumps. There is a big appeal, and the finger goes up. However, Murtaza takes a review here, but UltraEdge confirms no bat involved, and Ball Tracking comes up with three reds. Hong Kong, China lose their skipper, a review, and are eight down now. 91/8

16.2 OUT! TAKEN! Another one bites the dust! Rashid Khan gets his first wicket in his last over. He tosses it up, full and on middle, turns away a bit. Aizaz Khan looks to slog it across the line, but the ball just holds on the surface and takes the top edge. It goes miles in the air towards long on. Mohammad Nabi runs forward a bit too much at first, but then adjusts well and takes a good catch with a reverse cap above his head. Keeps his balance nicely too. Afghanistan are just 3 wickets away from winning now! 78/7

19.2 OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! Hong Kong, China are on the verge of getting bowled out here. Fazal gives no pace again, on a length and on middle, sticks to the surface. Ehsan Khan uses his feet to play at it with hard hands but ends up just chipping it back towards the bowler. Farooqi on his follow-through, gets down quickly and takes a good catch with the ball dying in front of him. Hong Kong, China are 93/9 now! 93/9