Chevrons in warm up win
HALF-CENTURIES by Hamilton Masakadza and Brendan Taylor helped hosts Zimbabwe beat Papua New Guinea by five wickets in a warm-up match at the Bulawayo Athletic Club yesterday.
The Chevrons, who open their campaign in Gouup B against Nepal at Queens Sports Club this Sunday, needed the positive result to drum up confidence ahead of the tournament.
Heath Streak’s men were happy, at least, to get to sample what they should expect when the Qualifier begins using a proper game situation after their first practice match was abandoned on Tuesday without a ball being bowled because of a wet outfield at Queens Sports Club.
PNG won the toss and batted first and were bowled out for 195.
Then veteran batsman Masakadza, batting at number three, scored 54 from 71 balls with four fours and two sixes before retiring.
Former captain Brendan Taylor also struck three fours and two sixes before being retired for 52 as the host nation achieved the 195-run target with more than nine overs to spare.
Opener Solomon Mire and captain Graeme Cremer also had good outings with the bat, scoring 36 and 22 not out.
Opening batsman Cephas Zhuwao, who was a last-minute addition to the squad, was not given the opportunity to assert himself as he was dismissed early by the PNG bowlers.
Earlier in the day, PNG failed to finish on a high after a promising start when they were dismissed for 195 in 49.4 overs.
They were 135 for four in the 38th over but managed only 60 runs in the next 12.2 overs for the loss of six wickets.
Opener Vani Morea was the top scorer with 58 (75b, 3x4, 2x6), while captain Assadollah Vala contributed 30 (59b, 1x4). For Zimbabwe, wickets were evenly shared between Sikandar Raza (two for 20), Tendai Chisoro (two for 22) and Blessing Muzarabani (two for 22).
Windies versus UAE
The spin and pace combination of Nikita Miller and Kemar Roach saved the Windies blushes in their ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 warm-up match against the United Arab Emirates when they bowled the two-time former world champions to a 32-run victory at the Harare Sports Club yesterday.
The Windies were heading for an embarrassing defeat when they were spun out for 115 in 33.4 overs after being 31 for no loss at one stage with wrist spinner Imran Haider claiming four for 16, off-spinner Rohan Mustafa bagging two for 10 and left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza snapping up two for 14.
However, left-arm spinner Miller and Roach turned the screws on the UAE batsmen and reduced them to 58 for seven before rain stopped play.
When the match resumed, the UAE innings lasted for another 7.1 overs as they were bowled out for 83 in 29 overs.
Miller finished with figures of 10-2-20-5, while Roach claimed three for 15. Off-spinner Ashley Nurse captured two of the last three wickets, to finish with two for 21.
Ireland v Scotland
In a nail-bitter at the Queens Sports Club, Ireland defeated defending champions Scotland in a last-ball thriller by two wickets. Chasing 240 for victory, Ireland needed 24 off the last two overs and then eight off the final six deliveries, before George Dockrell hit a boundary off the final delivery after the scores had been tied.
Andrew McBrine had earlier led the Irish runchase with a fluent 79 off 100 balls with four fours and a six, and featured in a 90-run fourth wicket partnership with Niall O’Brien (35).
The decisive innings, however, came from No.8 batsman George Dockrell and No.10 batsman Boyd Rankin, which turned the match in Ireland’s favour. Dockrell finished on 47 not out from 38 balls with three fours, while Rankin scored 12 off five balls. The two batsmen had joined hands with the score at 221 for eight, needing 19 off nine deliveries.
Earlier, Michael Leask hit almost a run-a-ball 91 to lift Scotland to 239 all out in 49.3 overs after the Scots were left reeling at 60 for six in the 17th over. Leask hit seven fours and two sixes, and added 156 runs for the seventh wicket with George Munsey, whose 77 came off 117 balls and included two fours and two sixes.
For Ireland, fast bowler Boyd Rankin bowled with a lot of fire and venom to finish with impressive figures of 10-0-38-5. Tim Murtagh (three for 42) and Barry McCarthy (two for 54) offered good support to the tall fast bowler and allowed the defending champions to score only 60 runs in the last 10 overs.
Afghanistan v the Netherlands
Rain had the last laugh at the Old Hararians where Afghanistan and the Netherlands match was abandoned when it was shaping into an interesting game.
The Netherlands, chasing a revised target of 202 in 45 overs, were 86 for one in 17.3 over when light showers left the outfield wet and soggy, leaving no option for the on-field umpires but to call — off the match at 16h35 local time.
Play was stopped for the second and final time in the Netherlands’ innings at the fall of Wesley Barresi’s wicket who was caught at the wicket after scoring a 51-ball 38 with five fours. Maxwell O’Dowd remained not out on 38 from 55 balls.
Earlier, stand-in captain Rashid Khan showed that he was no rabbit with the bat when he struck six fours and three sixes in a 43-ball 63 to help his side recover from 38 for five to 216 all out in 49.5 overs. Rashid came out to bat with the score at 122 for seven in the 40th over and helped his side collect 94 runs in the last 10 overs, including 21 runs off the final five deliveries bowled by Peter Borren.
Sharafuddin Ashraf (42) and Mohammad Nabi (32) were the other notable run-scorers as the two batsmen put on 70 runs for the sixth wicket.
Fast bowler Shane Snater was the pick of the Netherlands bowlers when he returned figures of 10-1-46-4. Left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe finished with two for 23. — Sports Reporter/ICC/Zimcricket