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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
ALL-ROUNDER Sikandar Raza led the way as Zimbabwe Cricket upped their preparations for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka yesterday with the first Pro50regional match between Northerns and Southerns at Queens Sports Club.
The two-match event, featuring a large pool of players looking to impress the selectors ahead of the announcement of the travelling squad, started yesterday with a six-wicket win for the Northerns.
This was thanks to the fine bowling from the likes of Faraz Akram, Tapiwa Mufudza and Donald Tiripano and a crisp half century from Raza, as Northerns overran their opponents in a match reduced to 43 overs due to the wet weather conditions.
The second match will be played tomorrow at the same venue. Newly-appointed interim Chevrons head coach Walter Chawaguta must be following with a keen interest ahead of the national team’s departure for Sri Lanka next Tuesday for a six-match white-ball tour.
Darlington Majonga, who is doubling up as Team manager and Media Manager, said the two regional matches were part of the wider preparations for the Chevrons’ first tour for 2024.
“These games form part of the final preparations for the tour of Sri Lanka. Barring adverse weather conditions, we should have two games and all the guys should be able to have game time and enjoy themselves in the middle.
“The final squad will be announced in due course and the team leaves for Sri Lanka on January 2,” said Majonga.
Southerns were sent in to bat first yesterday after losing the toss and got bowled out for 182 runs in 40.4 overs.
Zimbabwe national team fringe player Akram was the pick of the Northerns bowlers with his figures of 3-16 after bowling only six overs. Mufudza was equally impressive as he recorded 3-39 in 10 overs, while there were two wickets apiece for Tiripano (2-25) and Raza (2-49).
Wicket-keeper/batsman Tafadzwa Tsiga top scored for Southerns with 55runs from 69 deliveries. Opening batsman Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, who scored a ton for Eagles in the Logan Cup last week, narrowly missed his half century after falling for 49 runs.
Tony Munyonga made a feisty 21 from 22 balls before falling to Mufudza. But most of the Southerns players struggled with the bat, with Chevrons stalwart Sean Williams conspicuous by his absence from the starting team line-up.
Raza led the chase with a well-struck 60 from 38 balls which included five boundaries and four maximums.
Innocent Kaia opened the innings with Joylord Gumbie and the pair made 29 runs before the latter was sent packing by Carl Mumba for just 12 runs.
Mumba struck twice in quick succession for his 2-27 as the next partnership only added one run before the new batsman Brian Chari was sent back to the pavilion for a two-ball duck. Kaia eventually departed the stage with 46 runs from 61 deliveries.
Then in came the Northerns skipper Raza and accelerated the chase before he fell for 60 runs. Brian Bennett was unbeaten on 40 runs after facing 59 balls as Northerns safely glided home with 54 balls to spare.
Milton Shumba was also unbeaten on 14 runs from 17 deliveries.
Apart from Mumba, Southerns captain Wellington Masakadza (1-23)and Pakistani bowler Jalat Khan (1-35) were the only wicket takers. The last game will be played tomorrow at the same venue.
Online Reporter