The Sunday Mail
Don Makanyanga
Sports Reporter
THE individual brilliance of Blessing Muzarabani with the ball and Sikandar Raza with the bat failed to prevent Zimbabwe from falling to a 60-run defeat at the hands of Afghanistan in the first of their three One-Day International ICC Super League matches at Harare Sports Club yesterday.
It was the Chevrons 16th defeat, and eighth at home, to the tourists who seem to have Zimbabwe’s number now.
Fresh off his stint in the Indian Premier League, Muzarabani bagged four wickets from nine overs, while Raza scored 67 runs off 78 balls. The defeat saw Zimbabwe remain 12th on the 13-team ICC Super League log, further denting their hopes of qualifying for next year’s ODI World Cup in India. Zimbabwe won the toss and captain Craig Ervine chose to field.
Afghanistan raced off 276 runs for the loss of five wickets in their allotted 50 overs.
The visitors had an early scare to their innings, losing two wickets inside the opening 10 overs, with Muzarabani the chief tormentor on his way to a four-fer.
The 25-year-old claimed his first wicket in the sixth over when he bowled and caught Afghanistan opener Idran Zadran for five runs.
Tanaka Chivhanga, who made his debut for the Chevrons, had every reason to smile on his first national team outing as he claimed his first international wicket and the second for the Chevrons.
He dismissed Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the 10th over when his delivery to the Afghan opener was caught by Ervine.
Following the two quick dismissals, Afghanistan finally found their footing, as the third-wicket partnership of skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi and his assistant Rahmat Shah posted a combined 181 runs from 203 runs.
The partnership was finally broken in the 44th over when Shah, who scored 94 runs off 120 balls, was caught behind the stumps by Regis Chakabva off a Muzarabani delivery. Muzarabani was back to haunt the Afghanistan batting order, claiming his third wicket of the day as he dismissed Shahidi for 88 runs, which was also influential for the Asians total.
Muzarabani concluded his four-wicket haul two balls later when he dismissed Mohammad Nabi, leaving the Afghans at 234 for the loss of five wickets.
Rashid Khan had to push the Afghanistan innings to 276 runs in the last three overs for an unbeaten 39 runs off 17 balls.
With a modest chase of 276 runs, Zimbabwe got off their innings to a poor start, as Chakabva was dismissed by Faalhaq Farooqi in the third over for a single run.
Despite the early wicket setback, Zimbabwe embarked on a fight-back through Ervine, who scored 30 runs from 40 balls, after which he caught and bowled by Azmatullah Omazzai in the 15th over to leave Zimbabwe at 66 runs for the loss of two wickets.
With Zimbabwe continuing the chase, next to be dismissed was Wesley Madhevere in the 22st over after he was bowled and caught by Mohammed Nabi.
Innocent Kaia, also making his debut for the national team, proved costly for the Chevrons as he gobbled balls.
The Zimbabwe debutant faced 78 balls for 39 runs before he was dismissed for a leg-before-wicket in the 28th over by Nabi.
Zimbabwe’s hopes of chasing down the target were revived by Raza, who scored 67 runs off 78 balls, but again it was all in vain as he was trapped lbw in the 44th over.
