Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
RICHARD NGARAVA yesterday continued the fairytale start to his captaincy as the Chevrons skipper starred with bat and ball to help Zimbabwe to a nervy 25-run win over Bangladesh at Harare Sports Club.
Ngarava shared a 63-run ninth-wicket stand alongside Newman Nyamhuri to help Zimbabwe to 141 runs before taking three wickets as the Chevrons bundled out the visitors for 116.
The 141 was Zimbabwe’s fourth-lowest total they have defended, while their lowest against Bangladesh, handing the Chevrons one of their most unlikely wins yet.
A lot of credit, however, should go to the duo of Ngarava and Man-of-the-Match, Nyamhuri, as their ninth-wicket proved to be the difference-maker between the two sides.
The duo saved Zimbabwe the blushes as the Chevrons’ batting frailties once again resurfaced on their way to being bowled out for 141 inside 37 overs, with Nyamhuri top-scoring with 33 runs off 51 balls.
Bangladesh’s Nahid Rana was Zimbabwe’s chief tormentor with the quick finishing on career best figures of six wickets for 21 runs.
The visitors won the toss, put Zimbabwe in to bat, after which Ran sliced through the Chevrons’ top and middle order.
The Chevrons got off to the worst possible start when Ben Curran was run out by Mehid Hassan Miraz, setting off a chain of events that put Zimbabwe on the back foot for the rest of their innings.
Curran’s wicket, dismissed for 18 runs off 19 balls, broke Zimbabwe’s usually dependable opening partnership alongside Brian Bennett, which at the time was cruising with 36 runs off 41 balls.
Curran, however, was diminished going for a suicidal single on the fourth ball of the sixth over.
Two balls later, he would be joined by his opening partner, Bennett, who hacked a Taskin Ahmed delivery to Mosaddek Hossain at point.
Ahmed bowled Craig Ervine for a one-ball duck before Rana joined in the party.
The 23-year-old Bangladeshi quick accounted for four of Zimbabwe’s next couple of wickets, including Chevrons’ talisman Sikandar Raza (1), the in-form Innocent Kaia (26 runs off 39 balls), Wessly Madhevere (0), and, eventually, skipper Ngarava.
Rana had Raza and Kaia caught behind by wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan before they could do a lot of damage.
He also sent Madhevere (0) and Clive Madande (2) packing early, leaving Zimbabwe reeling at 70 runs for eight.
Parity was only restored as the duo of skipper Richard Ngarava and Nyamhuri went about rebuilding Zimbabwe’s inning with a ninth-wicket stand that saw the two pile up 63 runs off 81 balls
Nyamhuri would go to top-score for Zimbabwe with a hard-fought 33 runs off 51 balls, while Ngarava and Kaia chipped in with 27 runs off 41 balls and 26 runs off 39 balls respectively.
Rana finished as the pick of the Bangladeshi bowlers with a career best six for 21 runs, while Ahmed chipped in with two scalps for 32 runs
Zimbabwe’s seamers turned the match around during Bangladesh’s run chase as Ngarava, Nyamhuri, Blessing Muzarabani, and Brad Evans completely dominated.
Bangladesh lost wickets at regular intervals and struggled to get partnerships going as the Zimbabwe bowlers attacked them at every turn.
A total of eight Bangladeshi batters fell for single-digit figures, with only a fourth-wicket stand between Nurul Hasan and Towhid Hridoy offering any form of fight.
The two put up 49 runs off 88 balls, with Hasan top-scoring with 31 runs off 44 balls, while Hridoy chipped in with 25 runs off 58 balls.
Ngarava and Evans finished as the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers, with the duo picking up three wickets each, while Nyamhuri and Muzarabani chipped in with two scalps apiece.
Chevrons’ coach, Justin Sammons, was a relieved man and paid tribute to the fight his charges put on.
“I think we batted poorly,” said Sammons.
“I don’t think we did what we set out to do in terms of our game plans.
“And there is certainly work to do there
“We have got to address that,” he said.
Sammons was, however, impressed by the fight and resilience his charges showed, especially the manner in which they went about defending their total.
In particular, he was impressed by Nyamhuri and his Man-of-the-Match performance.
The young seamer finished with 33 runs and took two for 22 runs.
“Newman (Nyamhuri), played brilliantly.
“He showed that we can obviously cope with what our opponents will throw at us, it’s just about applying ourselves a little bit better, understanding conditions, understanding what’s going to work and what isn’t.
“I believe we will take our lessons from today (yesterday) and we will come out better and stronger in the second ODI,” he said.
