Zim quartet off to Bangladesh

Paul Munyuki Sports Reporter
THE Zimbabwe cricket quartet of Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Timycen Maruma, Forster Mutizwa and Malcolm Waller left the country yesterday for Bangladesh where they will join the Zimbabwe A side for an unofficial three match One Day International series against the hosts’ A side.
The four were part of the Zimbabwe Invitation XI led by by Waller that finished third at the six-nation Pepsi International Cricket Council Africa Division 3 tournament in Benoni, South Africa.

Michael Chinouya, Lovemore Gumunyu-Manatsa, Kudakwashe Munyede and Mark Vermeulen are expected to leave Bangladesh following the completion of the unofficial Tests where Zimbabwe lost both games.

Zimbabwe A yesterday suffered a 118-run defeat at the hands of Bangladesh A who completed a series whitewash in the two unofficial Tests in Fatullah yesterday.
Brian Chari fought a lone battle with a 74 that came off 130 deliveries with two fours and three sixes but his fellow batsmen crumbled around him as off spinner Saqlain Sajib ripped through the Zimbabwe attack. Sajib finished with figures of 5-75 as he was also responsible for the scalps of Mark Vermeulen, Chari, Wellington Masakadza and Luke Jongwe as Zimbabwe collapsed to their second defeat in as many matches.

Sajib’s five-wicket haul in this match brought his tally to 21 in this series having managed 15 in the opening match.
Resuming on 108 for the loss of five, Bangladesh batted for almost two hours and it was just after Naeem Islam’s unbeaten half century, off 130 deliveries with four fours, that they declared the innings of 172 for 6, setting Zimbabwe A 299 for a win. Opening with Tinotenda Mawoyo and captain Vusi Sibanda, the Zimbabweans saw their skipper perish just after six overs after he was caught by Islam off a Sajid delivery for six and Zimbabwe A were 10-1.

Vermeulen quickly followed and by the time Zimbabwe had reached the 90-run mark, they had lost three more wickets and all but one of the batsmen had reached double figures. Coming in at five, Chari had a good show at the crease with good knocks to give Zimbabwe their only half century of the match but he did not have anyone to give him the support he needed.

Brief Scorecard: Bangladesh A 258 (Nafees 97, Sibanda 5-55) and 172 for 6 dec (Ayub 53, Islam 50*) beat Zimbabwe A132 (Shahadat 4-33, Jubair 4-49) and 180 (Chari 74, Sajib 5-75)