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Joburg Bangla Tigers – 90 all out in 9.4 overs (Sikandar Raza 20, George Linde 15, Kusal Perera 12; James Neesham 3/14, Brandon Mavuta 2/2, Richard Gleeson 2/17)
Harare Bolts – 92-6 in 9.4 overs (Aftab Alam 26*, Dasun Shanaka 26, Shehan Jayasuriya 13; Karim Janat 2/16, Sikandar Raza 1/2, Adam Milne 1/18)
Harare Bolts won by four wickets
A powerfully hit 26 not out from Aftab Alam propelled Harare Bolts to an exciting four-wicket victory over Joburg Bangla Tigers in Monday’s first Zim Afro T10 match at Harare Sports Club.
When Tigers batted first, Sikandar Raza hit three sixes in scoring 20 off eight balls, but wickets tumbled until six men were out for 63.
George Linde then hit 15 off 10 balls, but the whole team was dismissed for 90 with two balls unbowled.
James Neesham took three wickets for 14 runs, while Brandon Mavuta had two for two runs off his solitary over.
Bolts also lost wickets, and a middle-order collapse had them in trouble at 65 for six in the eighth over.
This was when Alam played his vital unbeaten 26 off only 10 balls, with two sixes and three fours, to seize victory with two balls in hand.
Durban Wolves – 112-2 in 10 overs (Will Smead 54*, Mark Chapman 38*, Colin Munro 11; Richard Ngarava 1/15, Daryn Dupavillon 1/15)
Bulawayo Brave Jaguars – 116-6 in 9.3 overs (Nick Hobson 38*, Laurie Evans 26, Kirk McKenzie 14; Rohid Khan 2/17, Dawlat Zadran 2/36, Mohammad Irfan 1/22)
Bulawayo Brave Jaguars won by four wickets
A brilliant hitting display by Nick Hobson, who hammered 38 not out off only 13 balls, took Bulawayo Braves Jaguars to an unexpected four-wicket victory over Durban Wolves in the day’s second game.
Wolves, batting first, lost their first two batters for 32 runs in the fourth over, but there followed an excellent unbroken partnership of 80 between Will Smeed, whose 54, with four sixes and four fours, came off 25 balls, and Mark Chapman, 38 off 22 balls.
This brought them a total of 112 for two wickets, and they then removed the first three Jaguars batters for 40 runs in four overs.
Laurie Evans began the fightback with 26 off only nine balls, and then Hobson finished the job, his innings containing a six and seven four wickets.
Cape Town Samp Army – 151-4 in 10 overs (Dawid Malan 63, Rohan Mustafa 50, Leonardo Julien 10*; Binura Fernando 1/29, Thisara Perera 1/30, Blessing Muzarabani 1/31)
NYS Lagos – 129-5 in 10 overs (Thisara Perera 48, Rassie van der Dussen 19, Avishka Fernando 19; Amir Hotak 2/27, David Willey 1/15, Rohan Mustafa 1/25)
Cape Town Samp Army won by 22 runs
Fantastic fifties from Dawid Malan and Rohan Mustafa took Cape Town Samp Army to the highest score of the Zim Afro T10 tournament to date, 151 for four wickets, and brought them a 22-run victory over NYS Lagos, who began the match as the only unbeaten team in this campaign.
They surpassed the previous record of 146-1 set by Harare Hurricanes in the inaugural edition of the tournament.
Samp Army lost Brian Bennett to the first delivery of the match, but then these two batters in just seven overs and one ball added 111 runs for the second wicket before Malan was out for 63 off only 25 balls, with five sixes and six fours.
Mustafa had less of the bowling, but in the following over he left for 50 off 23 balls, with 10 fours.
Lagos had little chance in chasing all of 152 for victory, and they lost their first four wickets for 59 runs in less than six overs.
Thisara Perera narrowed the margin with 48 off 17 balls, which included six sixes and two fours, but had nobody to support him, and the team innings ended at 129 for five wickets. – ZC
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