Right then, the Afghan bowlers have done their job and it is up to the batters now to knock off the target of 96 runs and help Afghanistan book their place in the Super 8 stage. The Afghan openers have done the heavy lifting so far and Papua New Guinea will feel that if they remove the openers early, they can put pressure on the rest of the batting unit, which has not been tested yet.

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Naveen-ul-Haq is in for a chat. He says it is an honor to play for the country and is delighted to achieve the milestone of 50 T20I wickets and says to achieve this feat in in the World Cup is very special. On being asked about the target, he says they can't say anything about it as it is a funny game, and is hopeful that the batters chase it down.

As many as 4 run-outs occurred in the Papua New Guinea innings in what was yet another disappointing batting display. However, PNG will take heart from the fact that they were able to get close to 100, considering that they were 50-7 at one point in time. They started off on the wrong foot as a lackadaisical piece of running resulted in the departure of their skipper, Assad Vala. It went from bad to worse and after losing 5 wickets in the Powerplay, PNG were always playing catch up from there.

Not the most clinical bowling effort, but Afghanistan get the job done eventually! The Afghan bowlers were way off from their usual standards, conceding as many as 25 extras. They will need to address these lapses and tighten up their performance if they want to continue their strong run in the tournament. Afghanistan were gifted an early breakthrough in the form of a run out and after that, the Afghan pace duo took over. As he has done in the competition so far, Fazalhaq Farooqi made the new b

Naveen-ul-Haq to John Kariko, ! RUN OUT! That's the fourth run out for PNG and they get bundled up just before the triple figures.

Naveen-ul-Haq to John Kariko, And again! A slower one on the leg stump line, John Kariko again tries to ramp it over the short fine but fails to get any connection.

Naveen-ul-Haq to John Kariko, Naveen-ul-Haq lands it on the leg stump line again, just closer to the stump on a fuller length. John Kariko moves way across the off stump and tries to scoop it over short fine but misses.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Semo Kamea, Sees the batter shuffling across the leg stump, Naveen-ul-Haq follows him and lands it outside the leg stump line, full in length. Semo Kamea gets an inside edge that runs down to deep fine and the batters cross for one.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Semo Kamea, Beaten! An off-cutter on the top of off, on a good length. Semo Kamea goes to poke at it and gets beaten on the outside edge.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to John Kariko, ! Nicely placed! First boundary conceded by Fazalhaq Farooqi in this game. Pitches it on the back of a length, angling in on off, John Kariko moves leg side of the ball to open up the off side, and simply places the ball through the vacant backward point region for a boundary.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to John Kariko, Stretches his length a bit this time and lands it very full, on the middle, John Kariko clears his front leg and digs it out to mid off.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to John Kariko, Good length, angling on the middle, John Kariko blocks it off to the leg side.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Semo Kamea, Back of a length, outside off, Semo Kamea guides it towards deep third for one.

Semo Kamea is the last man in for Papua New Guinea.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Alei Nao, ! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Fazalhaq Farooqi gets his third and he is on a roll here.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Alei Nao, Over the wicket, on a length, Alei Nao gets beaten by the pace off and the ball goes over the top of off.

Noor Ahmad to John Kariko, No run.

Noor Ahmad to John Kariko, Wide!

John Kariko comes out to bat now.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, ! LBW! Noor breaks a brewing partnership here and gets his first wicket. A gem of a delivery!

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, No run.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, ! These are important runs for PNG! Tossed up on off, Kipling Doriga walks down a couple of steps and spanks it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

Noor Ahmad to Alei Nao, 1 run.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, Provides some revs on the ball, and drops it outside off, on a length, Kipling Doriga rocks back and punches it towards deep point for one.

Rashid Khan to Alei Nao, Drags his length this time, outside off, Alei Nao mistimes the shot back to Rashid Khan.

Rashid Khan to Alei Nao, No run.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, 1 run.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, A googly on the pads, Kipling Doriga rocks back but the ball pings his back thigh pad.

Rashid Khan to Alei Nao, In the air...but safe! Floats it up, full and on the middle again, Alei Nao clears his front leg and mistimes it up in the air off the toe end, and the ball lands behind mid on for a single.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, Drops it full and on the middle, closer to the body, Kipling Doriga sits on the knee and sweeps it with no real timing towards deep backward square leg for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, Touch fuller and it is outside off, Kipling Doriga pats it in front of cover-point for a quick single.

Noor Ahmad to Alei Nao, A wrong'un that deceives the willow's edge, full and outside off, Alei Nao looks to slog it down the ground but misses. Rahmanullah Gurbaz collects it cleanly behind the wickets and flashes off the bails in the blink of an eye. The off-side replay shows that Alei Nao's feet is grounded when the stumps are broken. Not Out then.

Noor Ahmad to Alei Nao, Around the wicket, full and tossed up on middle and leg, Alei Nao drives it down the ground for one.

Is that out?

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, Full and on the middle and leg, Kipling Doriga strides out and the ball clips off his pads towards square leg. The two sneak in a leg bye and the fielder at square leg hits bull's eye at the non-striker's end but Doriga is well inside as the replays confirm.

Noor Ahmad to Alei Nao, No run.

Noor Ahmad to Alei Nao, Good length, outside off, Alei Nao looks for a cut shot and opts out eventually.

Noor Ahmad (2-0-4-0) is back.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, 1 run.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, ! Nicely hit!

Rashid Khan to Alei Nao, Dishes out a googly, full and on middle, Alei Nao backs away and hacks it to long on for one.

Rashid Khan to Alei Nao, Oh, just missed the off-stump! Bowls it on a length and gives the ball a bit of air, on off, Alei Nao sits for the sweep but misses as a bit of extra bounce results in the ball going over the bat.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, 1 run.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, Tosses it up, full and turning away, on middle, Kipling Doriga goes for the sweep but gets a top edge that lands safely to the left of deep square leg for a couple of runs.

Karim Janat to Alei Nao, ! Good strike to end the most productive over of the innings for PNG. 12 runs off it. Janat errs in length as this is too full, on middle, Alei Nao clears his front leg and swings through the line to smack it past the bowler and to the left of mid on for a boundary.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, 1 run.

Karim Janat to Alei Nao, Very full and slanting in, on middle, Alei Nao swings to drill it back past the bowler but gets an outside edge that goes down to deep third for a run.

Karim Janat to Alei Nao, A bit slower and fuller, on middle, Alei Nao gets behind the line and defends it with a straight bat.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, 1 run.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, LEG BYES! More runs for Papua New Guinea.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, WIDE! Dishes it out on a fullish length but it goes beyond the tramline on off, Kipling Doriga reaches out for the drive but fails to get any bat on it.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Alei Nao, Big swing and a miss! Omarzai goes into the wicket, around off, Alei Nao clears his front leg and has a swipe across the line. The ball sneaks under the bat and zips past the off pole.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Alei Nao, Beaten! On a length, just outside off. Alei Nao goes fishing at it but gets beaten.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Alei Nao, ! Nicely done by Nao! Azmatullah Omarzai angles it on the leg stump line, on a fuller length, Alei Nao clips it with soft hands towards deep fine for a boundary.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Alei Nao, No run.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Kipling Doriga, 1 run.

Alei Nao is in at number 9.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, ! RUN OUT! Oh, no! So unfortunate for Norman Vanua and Papua New Guinea.

Is that a run out?

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, Oh, that kept low! Bowls it on a short of a length, outside off, Kipling Doriga stays leg side of the ball and pushes at it but the ball does not rise at all and scoots under the bat.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, Goes straight up but it lands safely!

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, Angling in, short of a good length, on middle and leg, Kipling Doriga closes the bat face early as he looks to work it away on the leg side. Gets a leading edge that lobs in front of cover.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, Pitches it up, full and on middle, Kipling Doriga firms the drive with a straight bat to mid on.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, No run.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, Beats the bat straight away! Bowls it in the channel on off, on a length, Kipling Doriga has a waft at it but connects with thin air.

Karim Janat is introduced into the attack now.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, A maiden to start with from Omarzai. Hurls it in on a back of a length, outside off, Norman Vanua has a feel for the delivery away from his body as the ball zips past the bat. Rahmanullah Gurbaz goes up in appeal but he is the only one who looks interested.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, No run.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, Bends his back and digs it in short, over off and middle, Norman Vanua tries to fetch the pull from over his head but misses as the ball sails over his bat.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, This is around the off-stump line, on a short of a good length, Norman Vanua hops back and blocks it out with a straight bat to the left of the bowler.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, No run.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, No run.

Drinks break! Afghanistan are in complete charge of the proceedings here. Just as a good little partnership was building for Papua New Guinea, they have been pegged back with the run out of Chad Soper. With not much batting left to come, it will be important for the two batters out there in the middle to take it deep. Afghan spinners have not been at their best but will look to step up and wrap up the innings quickly.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, No run.

Norman Vanua comes in at number 8.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, 2 runs.

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, ! RUN OUT! Massive miscommunication between the two batters and PNG are in an absolute nightmare here!

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, Lands it on the middle, fuller in length again, Chad Soper takes a stride out and blocks it underneath the bat.

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, Full and just on off. Chad Soper defends it out.

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, No run.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, Wrong'un, short and on middle, Chad Soper goes deep in the crease and punches it towards the right of the bowler and runs a quick single to end the over.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, Another googly on the middle, Chad Soper gets ahead for a defensive stroke but inside edges it towards deep backward square leg for a brace.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, No run.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, On the length, a googly onto the pads, Kipling Doriga tucks it across towards mid-wicket for a single.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, Fuller in length on the middle, Kipling Doriga goes for a drive through the covers but inside edges it behind square for a couple of runs on the leg side.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, Good length, coming in quickly on the pads, Chad Soper tucks it through square leg for a quick single.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, Loops it up again, on off, Kipling Doriga gets a good stride in and smothers the spin well as he blocks it out.

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, Another appeal for LBW but Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the only one who looks interested. Good length, pitching outside leg, and turning across the right hander, Soper looks to flick it to square leg but is beaten on the inside edge.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, Leg bye.

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, Tosses it up, full and around leg, Chad Soper uses his feet and works it to wide long on for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, No run.

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, 1 run.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, Another wrong'un turning on from off on a length, Chad Soper rocks back and nudges it along the ground in between mid on and mid-wicket for a quick single to end the over.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, No run.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, No run.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, No run.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, FIVE WIDES! Sloppy from the bowler and the keeper as well. Dishes out the googly that turns down the leg side after pitching on middle and leg, Chad Soper misses to tuck it and the ball even evades Rahmanullah Gurbaz and guns down to deep fine.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, Oh, extra turn! Pitches it full and on off, turns it away sharply. Chad Soper gets beaten on the outside edge.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, No run.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Kipling Doriga, Fuller in length, and angling on the middle and off channel, Kipling Doriga pushes it to mid on. End of the mandatory Powerplay and Afghanistan are right on the top of the game.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Kipling Doriga, Angling into the batter again on a length, Kipling Doriga misses to flick it and gets a thud on the front thigh pad.

Kipling Doriga is the new man in.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Tony Ura, ! BOWLED'EM! 50th T20I wicket for Naveen-ul-Haq! And PNG lose half of their side now.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Slower on on a good length, angling into the batter, Chad Soper tucks it to the leg side for a single.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, No run.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Tony Ura, Indecision in the running again! That would have been curtains for Tony Ura had it hit the stumps at the non-striker's end. Good length on offer, on off, Tony Ura hops on the back foot and dabs it solidly towards point. He first hesitates but eventually sets off for a quick single. Mohammad Nabi picks the ball quickly and hits Tony Ura's right leg who hurries to reach home. Survives a scare.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, More like it by Farooqi!

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Two leg byes! Fazalhaq Farooqi has been off with his lines this over and seems to be trying a bit too much, instead of keeping it simple. Too straight, on the pads, on a short of a good length, it comes off Ura's pads and dribbles wide of fine leg for a couple of runs.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Chad Soper, 1 run.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Chad Soper, Farooqi switches his angle as he comes from over the wicket and angles it across the right-hander, fuller and around off, Chad Soper goes for the drive but the bat turns in his hand on contact and he miscues the shot to mid on.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Leg bye! Slides on the pads, on a nagging length, Tony Ura fails to tickle it fine with the angle. The ball rolls off his pads on the leg side and the batters scamper across for a leg bye.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, No run.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, FIVE WIDES! Wayward from Fazalhaq Farooqi. At 129 kph from around the wicket but strays it way down leg, on a back of a length, Tony Ura lets it go. The ball keeps going away from the keeper, Rahmanullah Gurbaz who flings himself to his left but fails to cut it off.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Play and a miss to end the over! Hurls it in the corridor of off, on a good length and it nips away off the deck. Chad Soper fiddles at the delivery away from his body and gets beaten on the outside edge.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Pulls the length back and aims it around the off-stump, Chad Soper hangs back in his crease and pushes it along the ground to point.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Goes wide of the crease on the over-the-wicket angle and slants it back in, attacking the stumps, fuller in length, Chad Soper gets right behind the line of the ball and blocks it out.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Goes back to bowling full and in the channel on off, Chad Soper stays leg side of the ball and dabs it square to backward point without much foot movement.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Wide!

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Swinging in sharply back into the right-hander from over the wicket, on a length, on off, Chad Soper covers the line of the ball and just about manages to keep it out.

Chad Soper is in at number 6.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Hiri Hiri, ! b Naveen-ul-Haq.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Dishes it out on a fullish length, shaping in, on off, Tony Ura jams it out safely to the off side.

Naveen-ul-Haq replaces Mohammad Nabi.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, No run.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Hiri Hiri, 1 run.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Hiri Hiri, LEG BYES! Farooqi tries a bit too hard on the hat-trick ball and gets it wrong.

Hiri Hiri is in at number 5 for PNG and will face Fazalhaq Farooqi who is on a Hat Trick.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sese Bau, ! CAUGHT BEHIND! Two in two for Fazalhaq Farooqi! Papua New Guinea have been rocked early.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Lega Siaka, ! EDGED AND GONE! Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the thick of action again! A golden duck for Lega Siaka.

Who walks in next to bat?

Lega Siaka is in at number 3.

Mohammad Nabi to Tony Ura, No run.

Mohammad Nabi to Assad Vala, ! RUN OUT! Casual running from the Papua New Guinea skipper and he pays the ultimate price.

Is that out? A bit of a lazy running there from the PNG's skipper Assad Vala. 

Mohammad Nabi to Tony Ura, Utter confusion but Papua New Guinea get away with it.

Mohammad Nabi to Assad Vala, 1 run.

Mohammad Nabi to Tony Ura, Direct hit and Tony Ura was gone there. Slows it up nicely and bowls it shorter as well, on off and middle, Tony Ura shapes up to go big on the off side but the ball grips in the surface and takes off a bit as well. Ura inside edges it wide of mid-wicket and the batters steal a quick single.

Mohammad Nabi to Tony Ura, ! Tony Ura with the first boundary for Papua New Guinea. Gets the ball to drift away does Nabi, on a nagging length, outside off, Tony Ura rocks back and cuts it nicely through cover-point for a boundary.

Spin early on as the 'Professor' Mohammad Nabi will bowl the second over.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Pitches it right up to the batter and offers a bit of width on off, Tony Ura frees his arms and cracks the drive along the carpet to deep backward point for a single. A quiet first over from Farooqi.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Hits the hard length, on middle, Tony Ura hops back and stabs it down the deck with a straight bat.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, No run.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Drags the length back and angles it across the batter, outside off, Tony Ura sways away from the line of the ball and lets the ball go through to the keeper.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, On target again is Fazalhaq Farooqi but Papua New Guinea have their first runs. Shaping in, full and attacking the stumps, on middle and leg, Tony Ura uses the swing well and clips it through square leg for a couple of runs.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Charges in from over the wicket and gets the yorker right in first up, in search of swing, around off, Tony Ura digs it out off the toe-end of the bat towards cover. Ura wants a single but gets sent back by his partner.

Done with the pre-match formalities and it is now time for the real action to get underway at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba. The two Umpires are already out in the middle and the players of Afghanistan are scattering throughout the field and taking their respective positions. Assad Vala and Tony Ura are the openers for Papua New Guinea with the latter taking the guard. Fazalhaq Farooqi has the new ball and is all in readiness to bowl the first over of the game for Afghanistan. And,

We are just a few moments away from the start of the match. But before that, the two set of players are getting lined up followed by the match officials for their respective national anthems. It will be Papua New Guinea's first, followed by the national anthem of Afghanistan.

Norman Vanua is in for a flash interview. He says that it is an honour to represent Papua New Guinea and be the leading wicket-taker. States that it is always a good game against Afghanistan and that they have played them in a few T20Is and four-day matches and they are a tough team to beat. Feels that they need to play their best game and follow the processes. Shares that cricket has come a long way in Papua New Guinea and the facilities have improved. Adds that the grounds have gotten better a

PITCH REPORT - Simon Doull and Daren Ganga are at the 22 yards. Simon Doull starts and says that the weather is quite better and it is breezy, gusting south-easterly blowing towards the shorter side. Says it is 65 meters and 67 meters on squares and it is 70 meters hit down the ground. Daren Ganga joins and says that along the cracks, the density of the grass has increased and it will get a little more variable pace and bounce from it. Also adds that from what they saw in the previous game play

The captain of Papua New Guinea, Assad Vala says that he watched the last game played at this venue where the wicket was up and down. Feels that spending time out in the middle will be key for the batters. Shares that they took a few days off and returned to training three days ago. Hopes that his side can put the learnings from the first couple of games into this clash. Ends by informing that they have made one change based on the conditions with Semo Kamea coming in for Charles Amini.

Rashid Khan, the skipper of Afghanistan wins the toss and elects to BOWL first. Says they want to see how the wicket will behave here and they have watched the previous game and that there was a lot of dew as well. Adds it rained heavily and didn't allow them to practice much. Says each game is very important and they are taking each game seriously and ends up informing they are going with the same side.

Papua New Guinea (Playing XI) - Tony Ura, Assad Vala (C), Lega Siaka, Sese Bau, Hiri Hiri, Chad Soper, Kipling Doriga (WK), Norman Vanua, Alei Nao, John Kariko, Semo Kamea (In for Charles Amini).

Afghanistan (Unchanged Playing XI) - Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (C), Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

TOSS - The coin toss lands in the favour of Afghanistan and they have opted to BOWL first.

Right then, the Afghan bowlers have done their job and it is up to the batters now to knock off the target of 96 runs and help Afghanistan book their place in the Super 8 stage. The Afghan openers have done the heavy lifting so far and Papua New Guinea will feel that if they remove the openers early, they can put pressure on the rest of the batting unit, which has not been tested yet.

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Naveen-ul-Haq is in for a chat. He says it is an honor to play for the country and is delighted to achieve the milestone of 50 T20I wickets and says to achieve this feat in in the World Cup is very special. On being asked about the target, he says they can't say anything about it as it is a funny game, and is hopeful that the batters chase it down.

As many as 4 run-outs occurred in the Papua New Guinea innings in what was yet another disappointing batting display. However, PNG will take heart from the fact that they were able to get close to 100, considering that they were 50-7 at one point in time. They started off on the wrong foot as a lackadaisical piece of running resulted in the departure of their skipper, Assad Vala. It went from bad to worse and after losing 5 wickets in the Powerplay, PNG were always playing catch up from there.

Not the most clinical bowling effort, but Afghanistan get the job done eventually! The Afghan bowlers were way off from their usual standards, conceding as many as 25 extras. They will need to address these lapses and tighten up their performance if they want to continue their strong run in the tournament. Afghanistan were gifted an early breakthrough in the form of a run out and after that, the Afghan pace duo took over. As he has done in the competition so far, Fazalhaq Farooqi made the new b

Naveen-ul-Haq to John Kariko, ! RUN OUT! That's the fourth run out for PNG and they get bundled up just before the triple figures.

Naveen-ul-Haq to John Kariko, And again! A slower one on the leg stump line, John Kariko again tries to ramp it over the short fine but fails to get any connection.

Naveen-ul-Haq to John Kariko, Naveen-ul-Haq lands it on the leg stump line again, just closer to the stump on a fuller length. John Kariko moves way across the off stump and tries to scoop it over short fine but misses.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Semo Kamea, Sees the batter shuffling across the leg stump, Naveen-ul-Haq follows him and lands it outside the leg stump line, full in length. Semo Kamea gets an inside edge that runs down to deep fine and the batters cross for one.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Semo Kamea, Beaten! An off-cutter on the top of off, on a good length. Semo Kamea goes to poke at it and gets beaten on the outside edge.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to John Kariko, ! Nicely placed! First boundary conceded by Fazalhaq Farooqi in this game. Pitches it on the back of a length, angling in on off, John Kariko moves leg side of the ball to open up the off side, and simply places the ball through the vacant backward point region for a boundary.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to John Kariko, Stretches his length a bit this time and lands it very full, on the middle, John Kariko clears his front leg and digs it out to mid off.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to John Kariko, Good length, angling on the middle, John Kariko blocks it off to the leg side.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Semo Kamea, Back of a length, outside off, Semo Kamea guides it towards deep third for one.

Semo Kamea is the last man in for Papua New Guinea.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Alei Nao, ! IN THE AIR AND TAKEN! Fazalhaq Farooqi gets his third and he is on a roll here.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Alei Nao, Over the wicket, on a length, Alei Nao gets beaten by the pace off and the ball goes over the top of off.

Noor Ahmad to John Kariko, No run.

Noor Ahmad to John Kariko, Wide!

John Kariko comes out to bat now.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, ! LBW! Noor breaks a brewing partnership here and gets his first wicket. A gem of a delivery!

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, No run.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, ! These are important runs for PNG! Tossed up on off, Kipling Doriga walks down a couple of steps and spanks it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

Noor Ahmad to Alei Nao, 1 run.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, Provides some revs on the ball, and drops it outside off, on a length, Kipling Doriga rocks back and punches it towards deep point for one.

Rashid Khan to Alei Nao, Drags his length this time, outside off, Alei Nao mistimes the shot back to Rashid Khan.

Rashid Khan to Alei Nao, No run.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, 1 run.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, A googly on the pads, Kipling Doriga rocks back but the ball pings his back thigh pad.

Rashid Khan to Alei Nao, In the air...but safe! Floats it up, full and on the middle again, Alei Nao clears his front leg and mistimes it up in the air off the toe end, and the ball lands behind mid on for a single.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, Drops it full and on the middle, closer to the body, Kipling Doriga sits on the knee and sweeps it with no real timing towards deep backward square leg for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, Touch fuller and it is outside off, Kipling Doriga pats it in front of cover-point for a quick single.

Noor Ahmad to Alei Nao, A wrong'un that deceives the willow's edge, full and outside off, Alei Nao looks to slog it down the ground but misses. Rahmanullah Gurbaz collects it cleanly behind the wickets and flashes off the bails in the blink of an eye. The off-side replay shows that Alei Nao's feet is grounded when the stumps are broken. Not Out then.

Noor Ahmad to Alei Nao, Around the wicket, full and tossed up on middle and leg, Alei Nao drives it down the ground for one.

Is that out?

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, Full and on the middle and leg, Kipling Doriga strides out and the ball clips off his pads towards square leg. The two sneak in a leg bye and the fielder at square leg hits bull's eye at the non-striker's end but Doriga is well inside as the replays confirm.

Noor Ahmad to Alei Nao, No run.

Noor Ahmad to Alei Nao, Good length, outside off, Alei Nao looks for a cut shot and opts out eventually.

Noor Ahmad (2-0-4-0) is back.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, 1 run.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, ! Nicely hit!

Rashid Khan to Alei Nao, Dishes out a googly, full and on middle, Alei Nao backs away and hacks it to long on for one.

Rashid Khan to Alei Nao, Oh, just missed the off-stump! Bowls it on a length and gives the ball a bit of air, on off, Alei Nao sits for the sweep but misses as a bit of extra bounce results in the ball going over the bat.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, 1 run.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, Tosses it up, full and turning away, on middle, Kipling Doriga goes for the sweep but gets a top edge that lands safely to the left of deep square leg for a couple of runs.

Karim Janat to Alei Nao, ! Good strike to end the most productive over of the innings for PNG. 12 runs off it. Janat errs in length as this is too full, on middle, Alei Nao clears his front leg and swings through the line to smack it past the bowler and to the left of mid on for a boundary.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, 1 run.

Karim Janat to Alei Nao, Very full and slanting in, on middle, Alei Nao swings to drill it back past the bowler but gets an outside edge that goes down to deep third for a run.

Karim Janat to Alei Nao, A bit slower and fuller, on middle, Alei Nao gets behind the line and defends it with a straight bat.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, 1 run.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, LEG BYES! More runs for Papua New Guinea.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, WIDE! Dishes it out on a fullish length but it goes beyond the tramline on off, Kipling Doriga reaches out for the drive but fails to get any bat on it.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Alei Nao, Big swing and a miss! Omarzai goes into the wicket, around off, Alei Nao clears his front leg and has a swipe across the line. The ball sneaks under the bat and zips past the off pole.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Alei Nao, Beaten! On a length, just outside off. Alei Nao goes fishing at it but gets beaten.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Alei Nao, ! Nicely done by Nao! Azmatullah Omarzai angles it on the leg stump line, on a fuller length, Alei Nao clips it with soft hands towards deep fine for a boundary.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Alei Nao, No run.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Kipling Doriga, 1 run.

Alei Nao is in at number 9.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, ! RUN OUT! Oh, no! So unfortunate for Norman Vanua and Papua New Guinea.

Is that a run out?

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, Oh, that kept low! Bowls it on a short of a length, outside off, Kipling Doriga stays leg side of the ball and pushes at it but the ball does not rise at all and scoots under the bat.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, Goes straight up but it lands safely!

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, Angling in, short of a good length, on middle and leg, Kipling Doriga closes the bat face early as he looks to work it away on the leg side. Gets a leading edge that lobs in front of cover.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, Pitches it up, full and on middle, Kipling Doriga firms the drive with a straight bat to mid on.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, No run.

Karim Janat to Kipling Doriga, Beats the bat straight away! Bowls it in the channel on off, on a length, Kipling Doriga has a waft at it but connects with thin air.

Karim Janat is introduced into the attack now.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, A maiden to start with from Omarzai. Hurls it in on a back of a length, outside off, Norman Vanua has a feel for the delivery away from his body as the ball zips past the bat. Rahmanullah Gurbaz goes up in appeal but he is the only one who looks interested.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, No run.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, Bends his back and digs it in short, over off and middle, Norman Vanua tries to fetch the pull from over his head but misses as the ball sails over his bat.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, This is around the off-stump line, on a short of a good length, Norman Vanua hops back and blocks it out with a straight bat to the left of the bowler.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, No run.

Azmatullah Omarzai to Norman Vanua, No run.

Drinks break! Afghanistan are in complete charge of the proceedings here. Just as a good little partnership was building for Papua New Guinea, they have been pegged back with the run out of Chad Soper. With not much batting left to come, it will be important for the two batters out there in the middle to take it deep. Afghan spinners have not been at their best but will look to step up and wrap up the innings quickly.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, No run.

Norman Vanua comes in at number 8.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, 2 runs.

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, ! RUN OUT! Massive miscommunication between the two batters and PNG are in an absolute nightmare here!

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, Lands it on the middle, fuller in length again, Chad Soper takes a stride out and blocks it underneath the bat.

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, Full and just on off. Chad Soper defends it out.

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, No run.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, Wrong'un, short and on middle, Chad Soper goes deep in the crease and punches it towards the right of the bowler and runs a quick single to end the over.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, Another googly on the middle, Chad Soper gets ahead for a defensive stroke but inside edges it towards deep backward square leg for a brace.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, No run.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, On the length, a googly onto the pads, Kipling Doriga tucks it across towards mid-wicket for a single.

Rashid Khan to Kipling Doriga, Fuller in length on the middle, Kipling Doriga goes for a drive through the covers but inside edges it behind square for a couple of runs on the leg side.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, Good length, coming in quickly on the pads, Chad Soper tucks it through square leg for a quick single.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, Loops it up again, on off, Kipling Doriga gets a good stride in and smothers the spin well as he blocks it out.

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, Another appeal for LBW but Rahmanullah Gurbaz is the only one who looks interested. Good length, pitching outside leg, and turning across the right hander, Soper looks to flick it to square leg but is beaten on the inside edge.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, Leg bye.

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, Tosses it up, full and around leg, Chad Soper uses his feet and works it to wide long on for a single.

Noor Ahmad to Kipling Doriga, No run.

Noor Ahmad to Chad Soper, 1 run.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, Another wrong'un turning on from off on a length, Chad Soper rocks back and nudges it along the ground in between mid on and mid-wicket for a quick single to end the over.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, No run.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, No run.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, No run.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, FIVE WIDES! Sloppy from the bowler and the keeper as well. Dishes out the googly that turns down the leg side after pitching on middle and leg, Chad Soper misses to tuck it and the ball even evades Rahmanullah Gurbaz and guns down to deep fine.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, Oh, extra turn! Pitches it full and on off, turns it away sharply. Chad Soper gets beaten on the outside edge.

Rashid Khan to Chad Soper, No run.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Kipling Doriga, Fuller in length, and angling on the middle and off channel, Kipling Doriga pushes it to mid on. End of the mandatory Powerplay and Afghanistan are right on the top of the game.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Kipling Doriga, Angling into the batter again on a length, Kipling Doriga misses to flick it and gets a thud on the front thigh pad.

Kipling Doriga is the new man in.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Tony Ura, ! BOWLED'EM! 50th T20I wicket for Naveen-ul-Haq! And PNG lose half of their side now.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Slower on on a good length, angling into the batter, Chad Soper tucks it to the leg side for a single.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, No run.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Tony Ura, Indecision in the running again! That would have been curtains for Tony Ura had it hit the stumps at the non-striker's end. Good length on offer, on off, Tony Ura hops on the back foot and dabs it solidly towards point. He first hesitates but eventually sets off for a quick single. Mohammad Nabi picks the ball quickly and hits Tony Ura's right leg who hurries to reach home. Survives a scare.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, More like it by Farooqi!

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Two leg byes! Fazalhaq Farooqi has been off with his lines this over and seems to be trying a bit too much, instead of keeping it simple. Too straight, on the pads, on a short of a good length, it comes off Ura's pads and dribbles wide of fine leg for a couple of runs.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Chad Soper, 1 run.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Chad Soper, Farooqi switches his angle as he comes from over the wicket and angles it across the right-hander, fuller and around off, Chad Soper goes for the drive but the bat turns in his hand on contact and he miscues the shot to mid on.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Leg bye! Slides on the pads, on a nagging length, Tony Ura fails to tickle it fine with the angle. The ball rolls off his pads on the leg side and the batters scamper across for a leg bye.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, No run.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, FIVE WIDES! Wayward from Fazalhaq Farooqi. At 129 kph from around the wicket but strays it way down leg, on a back of a length, Tony Ura lets it go. The ball keeps going away from the keeper, Rahmanullah Gurbaz who flings himself to his left but fails to cut it off.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Play and a miss to end the over! Hurls it in the corridor of off, on a good length and it nips away off the deck. Chad Soper fiddles at the delivery away from his body and gets beaten on the outside edge.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Pulls the length back and aims it around the off-stump, Chad Soper hangs back in his crease and pushes it along the ground to point.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Goes wide of the crease on the over-the-wicket angle and slants it back in, attacking the stumps, fuller in length, Chad Soper gets right behind the line of the ball and blocks it out.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Goes back to bowling full and in the channel on off, Chad Soper stays leg side of the ball and dabs it square to backward point without much foot movement.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Wide!

Naveen-ul-Haq to Chad Soper, Swinging in sharply back into the right-hander from over the wicket, on a length, on off, Chad Soper covers the line of the ball and just about manages to keep it out.

Chad Soper is in at number 6.

Naveen-ul-Haq to Hiri Hiri, ! b Naveen-ul-Haq.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Dishes it out on a fullish length, shaping in, on off, Tony Ura jams it out safely to the off side.

Naveen-ul-Haq replaces Mohammad Nabi.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, No run.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Hiri Hiri, 1 run.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Hiri Hiri, LEG BYES! Farooqi tries a bit too hard on the hat-trick ball and gets it wrong.

Hiri Hiri is in at number 5 for PNG and will face Fazalhaq Farooqi who is on a Hat Trick.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Sese Bau, ! CAUGHT BEHIND! Two in two for Fazalhaq Farooqi! Papua New Guinea have been rocked early.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Lega Siaka, ! EDGED AND GONE! Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the thick of action again! A golden duck for Lega Siaka.

Who walks in next to bat?

Lega Siaka is in at number 3.

Mohammad Nabi to Tony Ura, No run.

Mohammad Nabi to Assad Vala, ! RUN OUT! Casual running from the Papua New Guinea skipper and he pays the ultimate price.

Is that out? A bit of a lazy running there from the PNG's skipper Assad Vala. 

Mohammad Nabi to Tony Ura, Utter confusion but Papua New Guinea get away with it.

Mohammad Nabi to Assad Vala, 1 run.

Mohammad Nabi to Tony Ura, Direct hit and Tony Ura was gone there. Slows it up nicely and bowls it shorter as well, on off and middle, Tony Ura shapes up to go big on the off side but the ball grips in the surface and takes off a bit as well. Ura inside edges it wide of mid-wicket and the batters steal a quick single.

Mohammad Nabi to Tony Ura, ! Tony Ura with the first boundary for Papua New Guinea. Gets the ball to drift away does Nabi, on a nagging length, outside off, Tony Ura rocks back and cuts it nicely through cover-point for a boundary.

Spin early on as the 'Professor' Mohammad Nabi will bowl the second over.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Pitches it right up to the batter and offers a bit of width on off, Tony Ura frees his arms and cracks the drive along the carpet to deep backward point for a single. A quiet first over from Farooqi.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Hits the hard length, on middle, Tony Ura hops back and stabs it down the deck with a straight bat.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, No run.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Drags the length back and angles it across the batter, outside off, Tony Ura sways away from the line of the ball and lets the ball go through to the keeper.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, On target again is Fazalhaq Farooqi but Papua New Guinea have their first runs. Shaping in, full and attacking the stumps, on middle and leg, Tony Ura uses the swing well and clips it through square leg for a couple of runs.

Fazalhaq Farooqi to Tony Ura, Charges in from over the wicket and gets the yorker right in first up, in search of swing, around off, Tony Ura digs it out off the toe-end of the bat towards cover. Ura wants a single but gets sent back by his partner.

Done with the pre-match formalities and it is now time for the real action to get underway at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba. The two Umpires are already out in the middle and the players of Afghanistan are scattering throughout the field and taking their respective positions. Assad Vala and Tony Ura are the openers for Papua New Guinea with the latter taking the guard. Fazalhaq Farooqi has the new ball and is all in readiness to bowl the first over of the game for Afghanistan. And,

We are just a few moments away from the start of the match. But before that, the two set of players are getting lined up followed by the match officials for their respective national anthems. It will be Papua New Guinea's first, followed by the national anthem of Afghanistan.

Norman Vanua is in for a flash interview. He says that it is an honour to represent Papua New Guinea and be the leading wicket-taker. States that it is always a good game against Afghanistan and that they have played them in a few T20Is and four-day matches and they are a tough team to beat. Feels that they need to play their best game and follow the processes. Shares that cricket has come a long way in Papua New Guinea and the facilities have improved. Adds that the grounds have gotten better a

PITCH REPORT - Simon Doull and Daren Ganga are at the 22 yards. Simon Doull starts and says that the weather is quite better and it is breezy, gusting south-easterly blowing towards the shorter side. Says it is 65 meters and 67 meters on squares and it is 70 meters hit down the ground. Daren Ganga joins and says that along the cracks, the density of the grass has increased and it will get a little more variable pace and bounce from it. Also adds that from what they saw in the previous game play

The captain of Papua New Guinea, Assad Vala says that he watched the last game played at this venue where the wicket was up and down. Feels that spending time out in the middle will be key for the batters. Shares that they took a few days off and returned to training three days ago. Hopes that his side can put the learnings from the first couple of games into this clash. Ends by informing that they have made one change based on the conditions with Semo Kamea coming in for Charles Amini.

Rashid Khan, the skipper of Afghanistan wins the toss and elects to BOWL first. Says they want to see how the wicket will behave here and they have watched the previous game and that there was a lot of dew as well. Adds it rained heavily and didn't allow them to practice much. Says each game is very important and they are taking each game seriously and ends up informing they are going with the same side.

Papua New Guinea (Playing XI) - Tony Ura, Assad Vala (C), Lega Siaka, Sese Bau, Hiri Hiri, Chad Soper, Kipling Doriga (WK), Norman Vanua, Alei Nao, John Kariko, Semo Kamea (In for Charles Amini).

Afghanistan (Unchanged Playing XI) - Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Rashid Khan (C), Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.

TOSS - The coin toss lands in the favour of Afghanistan and they have opted to BOWL first.