Zim Select beat Pakistani Shaheens

A massive 277-run second wicket partnership between Craig Ervine and Joylord Gumbie saw Zimbabwe Select convincingly thump Pakistan‘A’by seven wickets at Harare Sports Club yesterday.

The duo helped Zimbabwe Select chase down a 296 runs target that was set by the visitors. The hosts now lead the six-match series 3-1.

After winning the toss electing to field first, the hosts restricted their opponents to 295/9 in 50 overs and in their response, Ervine and Gumbie put up a partnership for the ages as Zimbabwe Select finished on 299/3.

Ervine scored his 11th List A hundred, finishing with 166 runs on the board while Gumbie notched up his maiden List A ton, finishing on 111 runs as the pair helped guide their side to a comfortable victory in the fourth match. They both fell with Zimbabwe needing 11 runs to win.

However, prior to their match winning partnership, Bradley Evans put up a brilliant performance with the ball for Zimbabwe, taking a five-for to finish with the match’s best bowling figures of 5/62 in 10 overs while the skipper, Wellington Masakadza took two scalps for 45 runs in his spell. Victor Nyauchi and Blessing Muzarabani took one wicket each for 67 and 51 runs respectively.

Omair Yousuf starred with the bat for the visitors, top scoring with 153 runs from 126 balls while Kamran Ghulam fell for 55 runs off 79 balls. Chasing the highest target of the series so far, Zimbabwe Select lost an early wicket of Tadiwanashe Marumani for four runs off two deliveries before Ervine joined Gumbie in the middle.

For his 161 runs, Ervine faced 144 deliveries while Gumbie faced 124 balls for his 111 runs. In the middle to see the team through there was Milton Shumba who finished on two runs and Wessly Madhevere, who concluded the chase with a four, finished on nine runs.

Shahnawaz Dahani finished with the best figures for the visitors, taking two wickets for 60 runs in 9,3 overs while Aamer Jamal took one for 47 runs in 10 overs. Today’s win means that Zimbabwe Select cannot lose the series now and the fifth match of the series is set to be played on Thursday at the same venue and starts at 09.15.