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Harare Bureau
ZIMBABWE put up a much better performance yesterday with both the bat and the ball after they ripped through the Pakistan defence before taking a 185-run lead at the close of play on day three of the second Test against Pakistan at Harare Sports Club yesterday.
Zimbabwe were 121 for 4 at the close of play in their second innings after having bundled out their opponents for 230 earlier in the day.
Brian Vitori was the toast of the Zimbabwe bowling attack claiming his maiden five wicket haul and was ably supported by Tinashe Panyangara who had three wickets to his name while Tendai Chatara had one.
Starting from an overnight score of 163 for 3, Pakistan’s innings were restricted to 230 as they chased Zimbabwe’s 294 with Vitori finishing with figures of 5-61 in his first Test in over a year and a half while Panyangara’s 3-43 was commendable.
It was the second wicket partnership of Tinotenda Mawoyo (58 off 165 with seven fours) and Hamilton Masakadza (44 off 120 with six fours) that drove Zimbabwe to a positive lead after losing usual tail-ender Prosper Utseya who, however, opened with Mawoyo.
The gamble to open with Utseya (5 off 13 with one four) did not pay in the end as he was caught by Asad Shafiq off a Rahat Ali delivery just six overs into their innings after the opening partnership had posted just 13 runs.
After Vusimuzi Sibanda suffered a stomach ailment, Utseya was thrown in the deep end as he was left with the task of opening with Mawoyo and it was the second wicket century partnership that seems to have stabilised Zimbabwe.
Mawoyo and Masakadza managed to navigate their way through the Pakistan attack, with patient and intelligent strokes that frustrated the tourists as Mawoyo drove his way to his third Test century but it was unfortunate the duo could not bat through the day.
Zimbabwe lost three late wickets within a space of nine deliveries as Masakadza, Mawoyo and Panyangara – who had come in as a night watchman — all fell at the expense of four runs after both Mawoyo and Panyangara gave in to Abdur Rehman’s bowling while Rahat Ali was responsible for Panyangara.
Going for lunch, Pakistan were 211 for 5 with Younis Khan on 76 (77 off 223 with nine fours) but by tea Zimbabwe were 30 for 1 after the loss of Utseya who opened with Mawoyo in a makeshift combination that did not work as well as Zimbabwe might have hoped to.
Pakistan started the day from an overnight score of 163 for 3 and it was Misbuh-ul-Huq (33 off 120 with four fours) who fell first victim of the day after he outside edged a Vitori delivery to Masakadza at first slip, leaving the tourists at 182 for 4.
Vitori’s effort broke the fourth wicket overnight partnership that had yielded 86 runs and this was just about the beginning of trouble for Pakistan who failed to deal with the Zimbabwe pace attack.
Chatara took the ball as it was his turn to attack and rightly he got the scalp of Asad Shafiq (10) with a delivery that went between his body and bat to uproot the stumps behind leaving his side at 211 for 5 and this was just before the Panyangara – Vitori show began.
Panyangara got the big one when he claimed the scalp of Khan, sparking huge celebrations in the Zimbabwe camp — just a ball before he was responsible for Abdur Rehman’s duck in the same over and there was confidence written all over the Chevrons’ faces.
With just his first ball, Rehman found himself back to the pavilion in the same over that Khan’s hopes of causing another misery to the Zimbabwe attack were squashed by Panyangara before Vitori claimed responsibility of the last three wickets.
Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal and Juniad Khan all fell to Vitori within a space of two overs. First Akmal was caught by captain Brandon Taylor at first slip after Vitori attacked from round the wicket forcing Akmal to edge to the slips.
Panyangara came in for what was to be his last over for the innings and conceded five runs before Vitori rounded up Pakistan in the 105th over where Ajmal was caught behind for seven with the second delivery of the over before bowling Juniad for a run on the next ball.
Zimbabwe 294 and 121 for 4 (Mawoyo 58, H Masakadza 44) lead Pakistan 230 (Younis 77, Manzoor 51, Vitori 5-61) by 185 runs
Online Reporter