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Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
JOYLORD Gumbie and Tashinga Musekiwa put up brilliant performances with the bat for the Zimbabwe Under-23 side as they took charge of the match against Omtex ICWC in Mumbai, India.
Gumbie scored 202 runs in 284 balls while Musekiwa recorded his maiden four-day game ton to finish on 111 runs from 98 deliveries to help guide Zimbabwe to a huge 548 runs in the first innings and secure a 372 runs lead going into the second innings. The hosts were bowled out for 176 in the first innings and at the end of play yesterday they were on 264/5, trailing by 108 runs.
The Minor Chevrons’ brilliant game started off with a splendid bowling performance from Wallace Mubayiwa who took six wickets for 48 runs in 254 overs while Christopher Masike took two for 29 runs in 11 overs. Tawanda Maposa and the skipper, Roy Kaia took one wicket each as they managed to restrict the hosts to a low first innings score.
In their response, it was the two innings from Gumbie and Musekiwa that put Zimbabwe in front alongside half centuries from Alvin Chiradza and Tafadzwa Tsiga. Chiradza fell 17 runs short of his ton on 83 runs from 158 balls while Tsiga scored 72 runs from 119 deliveries to guide their side to a huge total.
Abrar Pathan took for scalps for Omtex, conceding 121 runs in 21 overs while Kartik Mishra, Manas Chavan and Mrudal took two scalps each for 90 runs, 82 runs and 64 runs respectively.
Zimbabwe managed to take five wickets in Omtex’s second innings as the hosts fought back into the game courtesy of an unbeaten century from Janak Bhoir who ended on 117 runs from 207 balls at stumps yesterday. Bhoir was supported by Rushikesh Vijay More who also remained not out on 64 runs from 154 deliveries.
Kaia ended with two wickets in 31 overs for 71 runs while Mubayiwa and Maposa took one each in Zimbabwe’s 86 overs bowled in the innings. The Minor Chevrons are on a 28 days’ tour of India as part of Zimbabwe Cricket’s development plan. The team is under the stewardship of former national team captain Elton Chigumbura.
Zimbabwe are yet to register a win in the Asian nation having lost the two opening matches by 183 runs and nine wickets. — @brandon_malvin.
Online Reporter