Zim lose again

slumped to a four-wicket defeat at the hands of Australia A at Harare Sports Club.
Australia A comfortably coasted to 162/6 with 58 balls to spare after the hosts had won the toss and elected to bat before perishing for a meagre 159 runs in 48.2 overs.
Vice-captain Callum Ferguson, who got in at number three, played a crucial innings to see the tourists home with his highest contribution of unbeaten 57 runs from 69 balls.
Spinner Prosper Utseya returned the best bowling figures for Zimbabwe XI with 3-27 in 10 overs while skipper Brendan Taylor and Keegan Meth took one each, as the Australians made a steady chase to victory and complete a double over Zimbabwe XI in the tournament.
Australia A won by 90 runs when the teams clashed in the opening match of the tournament last week before accounting for South Africa A in their second game.
The tourists dominate the table in the tournament with 14 points from three games and have now cemented their place in Friday’s final, while Zimbabwe XI’s fate is no longer in their hands as they remained winless from the same number of games.
South Africa A are second in the table with four points in the bag following the thrilling one run win over Zimbabwe XI on Saturday.
The hosts are now banking their hopes on Australia A to beat South Africa A tomorrow and that they win comprehensively against their neighbours on Wednesday and get a bonus point to make the final.
As had become the pattern in the series, the team that won the toss had elected to bat first and went on to win the match, but things did not go well with the hosts yesterday, as their batting technique once again came under scrutiny against aggressive Australian bowlers.
Skipper Brendan Taylor won the toss and elected to bat first but Mitchell Starc and off spinner Nathan Lyon ripped through the line-up with three wickets apiece to Zimbabwe XI, the first team to lose a match in the tournament after winning the toss and batting first.
Zimbabwe XI were unsettled early when Starc trapped Taylor (1) lbw with his first delivery of the day with only two runs on the board before a disappointing run out sent Hamilton Masakadza (6) back to the pavilion to leave the scores 10/2 after 4.6 overs.
Starc, who was the pick of the Australian bowlers, then added Regis Chakabva (45) and later on Raymond Price (5) to his victims to finish with 3-34 from nine overs while Lyon had 3-38.
Chakabva, who gobbled up 104 deliveries, should have cursed himself when he lofted a catch to Aaron Finch after he had come close to a half century and missed the mark for the second time in back-to-back matches.
Chakabva scored 47 against South Africa A the previous day.
Vusi Sibanda had the second highest contribution for Zimbabwe XI with 31 runs to his name before departing in the 12th over caught behind by wicketkeeper Tim Paine after facing 43 balls.
But the chase was never going to be difficult for the Australians who, despite experiencing a jolt in the 16th over when they lost two wickets in successive deliveries, made steady progress for the loss of six wickets in 40.2 overs.
Aaron Finch, who is the tournament’s leading scorer with 127 runs in three games, was short of his second half ton when he fell for 47 runs before captain Paine’s unfortunate run out the next ball.
But Ferguson ensured victory for the Australians with a resolute 57.
Scoreboard
Zimbabwe XI Innings
BRM Taylor lbw Starc 1 (4)
V Sibanda c Paineb Hastings 31 (43)
H. Masakadza run out (Lyon) 6 (13)
RW Chakabva c Finch b Starc 45 (104)
CR Ervine c Warnerb Lyon 14 (31)
E Chigumbura c&b Lyon 15 (37)
F. Mutizwa c&b O’Keefe 14 (15)
P Utseya c Starc b Lyon 7 (21)
KO Meth c Finch b Copeland 7 (16)
RW Price c Paine b Starc 5(5)
CB Mpofu not out (2)
Extras 13
Total (all out, 48.2 overs) 159
Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Taylor, 1.1 over), 2-10 (Masakadza 4.6 overs), 3-45 (Sibanda, 11.4 ov), 4-74 (Ervine, 21.4ov), 5-107 (Chigumbura, 32.6 ov), 6-126 (Mutizwa, 36.6 ov), 7-140 (Utseya, 42.4ov), 8-150 (Chakabva, 45.5 ov), 9-157 (Price, 47.2 ov), 10-159 (Meth, 48.2 ov)
Bowlers: MS Wade 7-0-19-0; MA Starc 9-1-34-3; JW Hastings 10-0-27-1; SNJ O’Keefe 10-1-32-1; NM Lyon 10-1-38-3; TA Copeland 2.2-0-3-1
Australia A Innings
DA Warner c Taylorb Utseya 3 (22)
AJ Finch c Taylorb Utseya 47 (60)
CJ Ferguson not out 57 (69)
TD Paine run out (Utseya) 0 (1)
SNJ O’Keefe b Utseya 5 (19)
Hastings c Masakadza b Taylor 19 (15)
MA Starc b Meth 18 (41)
TA Copeland not out 9 (15)
Extras 4
Total (6 wickets, 40.2 overs) 162
Did not bat: N, Maddinson, NM Lyon, M Wade
Fall of wickets: 1-45 (Warner, 9.6 ov), 2-58 (Finch, 15.1 ov), 3-28 (Paine, 15.2 ov), 4-67 (O’Keefe, 19.6 ov), 5-101 (Hastings, 25.2 ov), 6-143 (Starc 35.5 ov)
Bowlers: CB Mpofu 7.2-0-28-0; KO Meth 7-0-46-1; RW Price 10-1-31-0; P Utseya 10-2-27-3; BRM Taylor 3-0-21-1; Chigumbura 3-1-8-0.