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Mehluli Sibanda Senior Sports Reporter
AN appalling batting performance saw Zimbabwe start their five-match One Day International cricket series against Afghanistan on a losing note when they were beaten by 49 runs in the first ODI at a neutral Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates on Friday. The Zimbabwean bowlers thought they had done the job when they cleaned up Afghanistan for 131 runs in 38,5 overs, opener Noor Ali Zadran the highest run contributor with 63 runs. Leg spinner Graeme Cremer was the most out-standing Zimba-bwean bowler with five wickets for 20 runs in the 9,5 overs that he bowled while there was one wicket apiece for Taurai Muzarabani, Wellington Masakadza, Sikandar Raza and Chamunorwa Chibhabha.
Requiring just 2,64 runs per over, the Zimbabwean chase never got going with the opening partnership of Chibhabha and Peter Moor yielding only a run. Moor was the second highest run scorer with 21 runs while Raza top scored with 28 runs coming in to bat at number six as Zimbabwe were bowled out for a paltry 82 runs 30,5 overs.
Left arm spinner Amir Hamza was the chief tormentor of the Zimbabwean batsmen with four wickets for 17 runs in 7,5 overs including the scalps of both openers Chibhabha and Moor. Hamza was backed up by former skipper Mohammed Nabi who picked up three wickets while seamer Mirwais Ashraf took two wickets.
The two teams clash again in the second ODI at the same venue on Tuesday with Zimbabwe seeking to make amends while for Afghanistan it is yet another opportunity in their quest to record another series victory over an International Cricket Council Full Member.
In October, Afghanistan became the first ICC Associate nation to beat a Full Member in a multi-game ODI series with a 3-2 victory. They followed that up with a 2-0 clean sweep in the Twenty20 International series that followed with all the action staged at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
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