Chronicle EditorBrandon Moyo, [email protected]
IT took Durham County Cricket just a few hours into the resumption of play on day three to wrap up the second three-day match at Takashinga Cricket Club yesterday against Zimbabwe A and claim the two-match series 2-0.
The visiting English County side took nine wickets inside 34,5 overs yesterday to register a 136-run win and white-wash a Zimbabwe A team that struggled with the bat through the series.
The hosts needed to bat out the entire day three to salvage a draw, however, once again they crumbled with the bat.
Zimbabwe A were bowled out for 133 runs, chasing a mammoth score of 270 runs.
In the first innings of the game, Durham — batting first — declared their innings on 193/8 before going on to bowl out the hosts for just 116 runs to go into the second innings with a good lead.
The visitors would go on to declare again in the second innings on 192/8 to set Zimbabwe A target of 270 runs for victory.
At the start of the third and final day yesterday, Zimbabwe A had lost the wicket of opener Tanunurwa Makoni for a nine-ball duck and were on 10/1 with Nkosana Mpofu and his Tuskers teammate, Aliakhbar Hamid out in the middle, both on five runs.
Hamid was the first to fall yesterday, four overs after the resumption of play.
He was caught on 17 runs off 32 balls and his overnight partner Mpofu, went on to be the top run scorer in Zimbabwe A’s second innings. Mpofu was run out on a patiently batted 37 runs off 100 balls while Milton Shumba remained undefeated on 21 runs from 38 balls.
Tadiwanashe Marumani also scored 21 runs off just 11 deliveries while Jonathan Campbell made 13 runs. The five were the only ones to score double figures for Zimbabwe A.
It was Oliver Gibson and Callum Parkinson who were lethal with the bat for Durham County.
Gibson and Parkinson took four wickets each for 39 and 47 runs in 11 and 12,5 overs respectively. Bas de Leede took the other wicket that fell.
With the three-day games concluded, the focus now shifts to the domestic T20 league where Durham County will join the five provincial teams to be the sixth team. The T20 Cup roars to life on Sunday in Harare where the six teams will battle it out for the coveted title in morning, afternoon and night fixtures.
The teams competing in the league will be Tuskers, Southern Rocks, Eagles, Mega Market Mountaineers, Rhinos and Durham.
In the opening round of fixtures, Rhinos will be up against Rocks at Old Hararians while Durham will face Mountaineers at Harare Sports Club.
The last match will be between Tuskers and Eagles under floodlights at Harare Sports Club.
Online Reporter