Shahzad, Shafiqullah Keep Afghanistan Alive

Chittagong - Afghanistan has its first win in the World Twenty20 and kept alive slim hopes of making the Super 10 with an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Hong Kong on Tuesday.

Mohammad Shahzad and Shafiqullah Shafiq scored fine fifties as Afghanistan delivered Hong Kong the knock-out punch.

Both teams dropped their opening qualifiers on Sunday. Hong Kong is out of contention for advancing.

Half centuries by Mohammad Shahzad and Shafiqullah spurred Afghanistan, which chased down 154 with two overs to spare.

Shahzad, dropped on 24, went on to 68 off 53 balls with six fours and three sixes and Shafiqullah hit a belligerent unbeaten 51 off 24 balls.

Hong Kong, who chose to bat, got off to a disastrous start when they lost opener Irfan Ahmed to the first ball of the match, bowled by left-arm paceman Shapoor Zadran who finished with 2-27.

It was left to Mark Chapman (38), Waqas Barkat (32) and Jamie Atkinson (31) to put the innings back on track with some sensible batting.

Barkat and Chapman added 60 for the third wicket and at 102-3 in the 14th over, Hong Kong should have put together a higher total then their 153-8.

But spinners Mohammad Nabi (2-27) and Hamza Hotak (2-32) put the brakes on Hong Kong's progress.

Teams

Afghanistan - Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Najeeb Tarakai, Asghar Stanikzai, Shafiqullah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi (Capt.), Samiullah Shenwari, Gulbadin Naib, Hamza Hotak, Dawlat Zadran, Shapoor Zadran

Hong Kong - Waqas Barkat, Irfan Ahmed, Jamie Atkinson (Capt. & wk), Mark Chapman, Babar Hayat, Nizakat Khan, Munir Dar, Tanwir Afzal, Aizaz Khan, Haseeb Amjad, Nadeem Ahmed

Brief scores
Hong Kong - 153/8 (Chapman 38, Barkat 32, Atkinson 31)
Afghanistan - 154/3 (Shahzad 68, Shafiqullah 51*)
Result - Afghanistan won by 7 wickets
Points - Afghanistan 2, Hong Kong 0
MOM - Mohammad Shahzad (Afghanistan)