The Sunday Mail
Online Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Select team now find themselves one game away from clinching the six-match Unofficial One Day International series against the visiting Pakistan Shaheens.
This follows an emphatic seven-wicket victory by the hosts on Tuesday, a win that saw both top-order batters, Joylord Gumbie and Craig Ervine, post centuries that are sure to leave a smile on Chevrons coach, Dave Houghton.
Houghton is on record lamenting the country’s batting woes, with the top order often the guilty party.
However, that is a story for another day, and this time the very same batters came to the party.
Zim Select skipper, Wellington Masakadza finally found himself on the winning end of the toss, for the first time this series, and immediately sent in the visitors in to bat first.
While the Zimbabwe bowlers toiled for the most part of the Pakistan Shaheens’ innings, a lot of credit should go to Omair Yousuf as his 153 runs off 126 was the backbone of the visitors 295 for nine total.
He found assistance from Kamran Ghulam, who chipped 55 runs off 79 balls.
Six of the Pakistani batters failed to reach double figures, as the Zimbabwe bowlers concentrated their attack at the duo of batting partners when they failed to penetrate the duo.
Brad Evan finished as the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers with five for 62 runs during his allotted 10 overs.
Masakadza chipped in with two for 45 runs, while Victor Nyauchi and Blessing Muzarabani had a wicket apiece.
Set a target of 296 runs for victory, the Zim Select got off to a patchy start as they lost opener, Tadiwanashe Marumani early on in the chase.
He was caught by Hussain Talat off the bowling of Shahnawaz Dahani after only having scored four runs.
This brought on the second-wicket partnership of Gumbie and Ervine, and the two first steadied the ship before taking the game away from the visitors.
The two starred in a 277-run second-wicket partnership with Gumbie finishing on 111 runs off 124 balls, while Ervine scored 161 off 144 balls.
By the time the two lost their wickets, Zimbabwe was close to victory at 285 for three, after which Wessly Madhevere and Milton Shumba had the easy task of taking the team home.
The victory means Zimbabwe Select leads the six-match series 3-1, with only two games left.
The two teams meet for the fifth and sixth matches on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
