ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2019

12 Afghanistan in 2018/19 The Test match against Ireland was played between the two first-class tournaments – indeed, it overlapped the final of the three-day competition – and so there was little opportunity for new names to break into the very top level of the first-class game. But the route towards the top was clearer now, and it is gratifying that as many as 14 cricketers who made their first-class debuts in the domestic three-day competition graduated to play in the senior, four-day tournament.  Further up the ability level, Afghanistan took steps to prepare their most promising players for Test cricket by establishing an A team, which played two four-day matches against Bangladesh A in July 2019 (scorecards on pages 680-681). The signs were good when the Afghan side – with only one Test player in its ranks – comfortably won the first match against a side containing five Test players. The second match was disappointingly cut short by rain. Apart from the one Test cricketer, the Afghanistan A side consisted largely of those who had caught the eye during their first domestic season in 2017/18, including both of that season’s batting stars, Bahir Shah and Darwish Rasooli. The first-class season at home had only 23 matches, compared with 52 in 2017/18, so it is no surprise that the leading tallies of runs and wickets were much reduced. The top runscorer was Nisar Wahdat, who played for Kabul in the three-day tournament and for Band-e-Amir in the four-day one, and who scored 831 runs at 69.25; while the bowling ranks were headed by left-arm wrist-spinner Zahir Khan, all 30 of whose wickets, at 27.10 apiece, came in matches in the four-day tournament for Mis Ainak. (KSW) Mirwais Nika Provincial Tournament 2018/19: Final table P W WLF L LWF DWF DLF ND A Pts 20 14 0 6 13 7 10 10 1 Kunduz 4 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 49 2 Kabul 4 0 0 0 0 3 1 0 0 46 3 Khost 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 44 4 Kunar 4 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 37 5 Kandahar 4 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 24 FINAL: Kabul drew with Kunduz but won the title by virtue of a first-innings lead. Ahmad Shah Abdali Four-Day Tournament 2018/19: Final table P W WLF L LWF DWF DLF ND A Pts 20 14 0 6 13 7 10 10 1 Speen Ghar Region 5 1 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 63 2 Amo Region 5 2 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 60 3 Kabul Region 5 1 0 0 0 1 2 0 1 57 Mis Ainak Region 5 2 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 57 5 Boost Region 5 1 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 40 6 Band-e-Amir Region 5 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 1 23 Abandoned matches: Kunar v Khost, Kunar Cricket Ground, Asadabad, 20, 21, 22 February. Kandahar v Kunduz, Kunar Cricket Ground, Asadabad, 2, 3, 4 March. Kabul v Band-e-Amir, Alokozay Kabul International Cricket Stadium, Kabul, 10, 11, 12, 13 April.