adminMehluli Sibanda in BULAWAYO
ZIMBABWE made light work of visiting Afghanistan, blowing away the visitors by eight wickets with a massive 160 deliveries to spare, in the first One Day International cricket match at Queens Sports Club here yesterday.
First, the Zimbabwean bowlers did a marvellous job to bowl Afghanistan all out for 122 in 34,1 overs.
Left arm spinners Wellington Masakadza, debutant Tendai Chisoro and pace bowler Luke Jongwe took all the wickets which fell.
Chamunorwa Chibhabha then top scored with a half century to steer Zimbabwe to a comfortable win in 23,2 overs.
The win gave Zimbabwe a 1-0 lead in the five match ODI contest with the second match set for the same venue tomorrow.
Zimbabwean bowlers never gave Afghanistan time to settle in at the crease after the visitors had won the toss and chose to bat.
Seamer Jongwe picked up three quick wickets to leave the visitors reeling at 34-3 in the 10th over.
Left arm spinner Masakadza, later named man-of-the-match joined in the party with two scalps in one over to reduce Afghanistan to 52 for the loss of five wickets in 15,2 overs.
Masakadza was denied a third wicket when Najibullah Zadran, on a duck, was dropped by Chisoro who could not decide with Jongwe on who should go for the catch.
Chisoro, playing in his maiden ODI, went for the catch and put it down.
Chisoro made amends with a catch to remove Samiullah Shenwari off the bowling of Masakadza to hand the young left arm spinner his third wicket.
In his very first over in international cricket, Chisoro had Amir Hamza out leg before.
And Chisoro struck again in his second over to remove Najibullah Zadran for 25 runs, Afghanistan were eight wickets down for 95 runs.
Dawlat Zadran lined up Chisoro for a six in the spinner’s third over but the bowler had the last say, getting him taken at slip by Craig Ervine for 25 runs off 34 deliveries, an innings made up of three fours and one six to leave Afghanistan 122 for nine in 33,2 overs.
Masakadza wrapped up the innings when he had Aftab Alam stumped by Richmond Mutumbami for one run.
Masakadza collected four wickets for 21 runs in 6,1 overs, Chisoro took three wickets for 16 runs in five overs, two of them being maidens while Jongwe had three wickets for 16 runs in seven overs.
With the visitors bowled out before the lunch break, Zimbabwe started off their run chase prior to the interval.
Requiring 2.46 runs per over, the openers Mutumbami and Chamunorwa Chibhabha put on 53 for the first wicket.
Mutumbami was out for 30, dismissed by Alam who had him taken by wicket-keeper Mohammad Shahzad.
Heading into the lunch break, Zimbabwe had progressed to 57 for one in 14 overs, Chibhabha on 26 runs while Ervine was on one run.
Chibhabha reached his half century off 62 deliveries with three fours and one six.
He gave away his wicket, dismissed by Amir Hamza who had him taken at mid wicket by Najibullah Zadran to depart for 58 runs from 69 balls, an innings comprising of four fours and one six.
Tinotenda Mutombodzi finished the match with a six off Shenwari as Zimbabwe recorded a comprehensive victory.
Online Reporter