ZIM, WINDIES IN ODI TIE

Senior Sports Reporter
Zimbabwe 257 all out 50 overs (Ervine 92, Raza 77, C Brathwaite 4/48)

West Indies 257 – 8 50 overs (Hope 101, K Brathwaite 78, Tiripano 2/26, Williams 2/52,)

Match tied

ZIMBABWE and West Indies were involved in an exhilarating tie in the third match of the One Day International triangular cricket series at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo yesterday.

Pace bowler Donald Tiripano, who had scored 14 runs off nine balls including a brilliant six off Shannon Gabriel’s bowling during Zimbabwe innings was called upon to bowl the last over. He produced a marvellous display, giving away just two runs, picked up a wicket and effected a run out to deny West Indies what looked like at some stage of the match was going to be a routine victory.

After yesterday’s result, West Indies remained on top of the log with seven points, followed by Sri Lanka on five while Zimbabwe have two. Half centuries from Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza for Zimbabwe coupled with Tiripano’s bowling heroics, a hundred by man of the match Shai Hope as well as a half ton by Kraigg Brathwaite for West Indies were the highlights of this thriller played in front of a small but appreciative crowd.

Left hander Ervine fell eight runs short of his third ODI century, gone for 92 off 100 deliveries, put on 144 for the third wicket with Raza who compiled 77 runs from 81 as Zimbabwe made 257 in 50 overs.

Hope, in to bat at number four top scored with 101 from 120 balls, shared in a third wicket stand of 162 with Kraigg Brathwaite who made 78 with West Indies also making 257 but for the loss of eight wickets.

Zimbabwe never got going from the time they had their opening pairing of Brian Chari and Chamunorwa Chibhabha yielding just 38 runs. Chibhabha and Chari fell in quick succession before Ervine and Raza brought hopes of Zimbabwe posting a decent total. After Ervine and Raza went, Zimbabwe stuttered on their way to posting a total to challenge the West Indies.

Right arm fast medium bowler Carlos Brathwaite was the most successful with ball in hand for West Indies with four wickets for 48 runs in 10 overs. Skipper Jason Holder and Gabriel picked up two wickets apiece while Ashley Nurse took one wicket.

In their run chase, West Indies lost the early wicket of Johnson Charles, trapped leg before wicket for 19 by Tiripano. Graeme Cremer removed Evin Lewis for 18 runs to reduce the tourists to 58 for two.

Kraigg Brathwaite survived a leg before shout on 28 off the bowling of left arm spinner Sean Williams. Hope was caught on the boundary for 59 off Raza’s bowling only for Tiripano to step on the rope and give the batsman six runs. Hope was handed another lifeline on 84 by Raza off Graeme Cremer’s bowling.

Playing in only his second ODI after making his debut against Sri Lanka last Wednesday, Hope reached his maiden ODI century in 118 balls, having smacked four fours and the same number of sixes with two runs off Christopher Mpofu’s bowling.

Mpofu removed him two balls later, the right hander gone for 101 runs off 120 balls, an innings comprised four fours and the identical number of sixes.

Kraigg Brathwaite departed in the first ball of the 48th over, Williams getting him taken in the deep by Ervine. Rovman Powell went for 17 in the same over, his off stump knocked over by Williams.

West Indies required 14 runs from the last two overs of the contest with the big hitting Carlos Brathwaite and Holder at the crease. Carlos Brathwaite smashed the last ball of Mpofu’s last over for six through mid wicket to leave the Calypso Kings needing four runs off the last six deliveries of the match bowled by Tiripano.

No one would have imagined that West Indies, with the big hitting Carlos Brathwaite who clubbed England all rounder Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes to win the International Cricket Council World Twenty20 in India in April this year would fail to get four runs off the last over to pick up their second win in the triangular series.

Holder took a single off the first delivery, Carlos Brathwaite picked out Williams at mid on to depart for nine runs. Ashley Nurse was run out for a duck with the ball coming off Tiripano’s hands to hit the stumps with the new batsman off his crease. Jonathan Carter took a single off the penultimate ball to tie the scores.

With one run needed off the last delivery, Holder did not make contact and Carter set off for a run, wicketkeeper Peter Moor hit the stumps with the batsman short for the contest to end in a tie. Tiripano said it was always his dream when he was playing street cricket to be involved in such an end to a match.

“It was my dream, told myself this is the chance I was waiting for since I was a kid playing cricket in the street I was just thinking about it yesterday, playing against the best guys playing in the IPL , just be positive and have no fear just express yourself, I thank God it is great for me, it is something that many wish to have in their lives to win a match for their country so its a blessing for me,’’ said Tiripano.

“Cricket is funny if you take it into the last over its amazing what can happen, that pressure and stuff that was very good. In the last three overs I started thinking we can do this, I knew that with Brathwaite and the skipper can hit a long ball, I was worried about what they can do but the wicket was pretty tough it was griping, I thought Mpofu and Williams bowled well and obviously bowled that last over really well under pressure,’’ said Zimbabwe coach Heath Streak.

Zimbabwe play their third match in the triangular series at Queens Sports Club tomorrow which Streak has described as a big game if they are entertaining any hopes of being in Sunday’s final.

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