LAHORE - Kazakhstan’s Aman Yelubyev scored a hat-trick and captain Daulet Urmanov scored a brace in their team’s easy 8-0 win over Afghanistan in the Haier FIH Hockey Series Open only match played here at the National Hockey Stadium on Wednesday.

Kazakhstan, who along with Uzbekistan, have emerged as the clear favourites to win this event, attacked from the off and repeatedly entered the opponent’s circle. They created a number of chances in the first quarter and availed two of them. A neat little three touch move saw the ball with an unmarked Aman Yelubyev near the left pole who easily put it in.

Daulet Urmanove doubled the advantage. After receiving a good ball in the circle, his low reverse flick found the far side of the board. Two goals arrived in the second quarter also. Daulet’s second was a superb individual effort. He sprinted into the circle and with an angular top of the circle hit sounded the left corner of the board. Penalty corner goal came off their fifth PC of the day. Nurbol Kazhym flicked high into the net. It was 4-0 at the half time.

Third quarter was spectator’s delight as three beautiful goals were added. On the eighth PC, a variation was wonderfully deflected into the goal by diving Tilek Uzbek. Then Aman Yelubyev eliminated two with a superb dribbling run parallel to the goal line before finding the target from a  tight angle. Seventh goal was scored by Yermik Tashkeyev who covered more than 20 metres in an exhilarating run beating a defender and the goal keeper before hitting it in.

Aman Yelubyev completed his hat trick in the first minute of the last quarter, finishing a right side move. Eight goals up, Kazakhstan apparently took foot off the gas and Afghanistan had their best spell, earning a penalty stroke and a penalty corner. But they wasted these opportunities. Today (Thursday), the only match will be contested between Uzbekistan and Nepal.