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DONALD TIRIPANO provided some fine bowling, on the second day of the first Test against Pakistan, at Harare Sports Club today.
He took three vital wickets, including two batsmen for ducks, but Pakistan built a big lead, but had to fight for it.
The visitors resumed their first innings, on 103 for no wicket, in reply to Zimbabwe’s first-innings score of 176 – Abid Ali had 56 and Imran Butt 43.
Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava opened the bowling, and attacked with greater accuracy than they had done the previous day, forcing the batsmen to play themselves in again with great care.
Six runs were scored in the first half-hour, a fine compliment to the two Zimbabwe pacemen.
Their skill brought its reward for the team.
Tiripano took an over, or two, to settle down, but Tendai Chisoro was on the spot, and he tempted Abid Ali, with one outside the off stump, which he went for, and edged to Brendan Taylor at slip.
Abid Ali was out for 60, and the opening stand was now broken at 115.
Between the start of play, and the drinks break after an hour, Pakistan added just 13 runs, for the loss of one wicket.
Azhar Ali came in, and after 80 minutes of play, he scored the first boundary of the day, an on-drive off Tiripano.
In the last half-hour before lunch the batsmen decided it was time to regain the initiative, and they began to play their strokes more freely.
Ali drove Tiripano for two fours in three balls, taking his score to 36 in no time, but, he chased the last ball of the over, outside off stump, got a thick edge and was caught by Tarisai Musakanda in the gully.
Babar Azam came in, watched Butt take six from an over from Chisoro, and then faced Tiripano’s next over.
He drove his first ball firmly to short mid-on, where Roy Kaia picked up a sharp low catch, the first time Azam has been out first ball, in Test cricket.
Tiripano bowled the hat-trick ball outside the off stump, and Fawad Alam let it go.
Fawad Alam was soon underway with some fine fours on the off side and a pull to the boundary when Kaia was put on, for his first over in Test cricket.
Alam reached his century with two successive fours off Tiripano; it took him 144 balls.
This gives Alam a unique record: in his 10 Test matches he has passed 50 on four occasions, and each one he has converted into a century.
Hasan Ali came in next and as usual went into hitting mode, hammering Kaia for a four and two sixes in four balls.
The day closed with Pakistan on 374 for six wickets, with Alam still there on 108 and Hasan Ali on 21, a lead of 198.
Scores
Zimbabwe — 176 all out in 59.1 overs (Roy Kaia 48, Donald Tiripano 28*, Milton Shumba 27; Shaheen Shah Afridi 4/43, Hasan Ali 4/53, Nauman Ali 1/29)
Pakistan — 374-6 in 120 overs (Fawad Alam 108*, Imran Butt 91, Abid Ali 60; Donald Tiripano 3/89, Blessing Muzarabani 1/42, Richard Ngarava 1/83)
Day 2 — Stumps: Pakistan lead by 198 runs – Zimcricket
Online Reporter