Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema
Zimpapers Sports Hub
LEAVE it to the rains to bail Zimbabwe’s Under-19 cricket team out of a precarious predicament!
That was the biggest takeaway as the second match in a row between Pakistan and hosts Zimbabwe failed to reach a conclusion as the game was abandoned due to incessant rains at Harare Sports Club yesterday.
Their first match-up last week also ended similarly, with the rains coming just in time to save Elton Chigumbura and his boys the blushes.
While they were bundled out for 90 runs last time out, this time Zimbabwe had been set the imposing target of 355 runs for victory.
Skipper, Michael Blignaut won the toss and put Pakistan to bat, a decision they would soon go on to rue as the visitors piled on 354 runs for 7 during their allotted 50 overs.
Coming fresh off an Asian Cup victory, the Pakistan Under-19 side laid bare their World Cup credentials with an imposing batting display.
The top-order duo of Sameer Minhas and Usman Khan were the chief architects of Zimbabwe’s woes with two explosive centuries.
Minhas finished as Pakistan’s top run scorer with 142 runs off 106 balls while Khan made 121 runs off 112 balls.
The two even featured in a second-wicket stand of 199 runs off 168 balls.
The partnership only ended after Benny Zuze had Minhas caught at deep extra cover by Tatenda Banda to end what should have been a match-winning knock by the Pakistan opener.
His innings featured 17 boundaries and four maximums.
Huzaifa Ahsan also had a small cameo as the middle-order batter chipped in with 54 runs off 53 balls which featured three boundaries and two maximums.
Zimbabwe’s bowlers found the going tough for a huge chunk of the match and came good during the tail end of the innings.
Pakistan lost three wickets during the last 10 balls of the innings.
Kirby Madaramete finished as the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers with three wickets for 53 runs while Panashe Mazai chipped in with two for 51 runs.
The duo of Zuze and Dhruv Patel each claimed a scalp each.
With 354 runs on the board, the heavens then opened with both camps forced into playing the waiting game.
Pakistan needed to bowl at least 20 overs in the second innings for the Duckworth Lewis Method to come into play.
Despite the huge target, Zimbabwe Under-19 World Cup skipper Simbarashe Mudzengerere remained optimistic that his charges could have given Pakistan some nervy moments and possibly chased down the score.
He, however, did admit that it was not the best of displays by his teammates in the field.
“I think we lacked a little bit in our execution and maybe way too many mistakes which they punished us for,” he said.
“If we were a bit more clinical and reduced the errors, the target would have been small.
“That being said, had the rains held, we definitely could have chased it down.
“There is no score that cannot be chased down,” he said.
Zimbabwe remain in the Youth One Day International (ODI) tri-series as they are second on the log standings with two points from the two matches.
Pakistan Under-19 are currently perched at the top with three points while Afghanistan are bottom with a point.
Zimbabwe next play the Afghanistan Under-19 team tomorrow at Sunrise Sports Club.
dyton mupawaenda