Copyright nehandaradio
HARARE – The idiom “fell like dominoes” perfectly describes how most of the Chevrons’ top batters left the crease one after another without scoring, as Zimbabwe suffered a disappointing defeat to Afghanistan in a T-20 clash at Harare Sports Club earlier today (Wednesday). The loss was so disappointing that some fans began leaving the ground when Zimbabwe were on 30 runs for five after just five overs. Sikandar Raza, Brendan Taylor, Ryan Burl and Tadiwanashe Marumani all struggled with the bat. The trio or Taylor, Burl and Marumani was dismissed for ducks, while Raza managed only one run. It was a humiliating “in-and-out” situation for the hosts, save for opener Brian Bennett, who managed a fighting 24 runs out of Zimbabwe’s first 29, with the remaining four coming from wides. The rest of the batting lineup failed to deliver as the Chevrons fell to the visiting Afghans in disappointing fashion. Zimbabwe’s slim hopes faded when Bennett was dismissed, paving the way for Tashinga Musekiwa as Afghanistan tightened their grip on the match. There was a brief resurgence when Tinotenda Maposa showed intent, hitting boundaries and rotating the strike to lift the innings. However, his resistance ended on 32 runs, extinguishing any hopes of a comeback. Zimbabwe eventually succumbed to a 53-run defeat, giving Afghanistan a 1–0 lead in the three-match T20 series. Afghanistan finished with 180 runs for six while Zimbabwe managed 127 for all out. The second match is scheduled for Friday, with the final game set for Sunday.
