Williams hit the winning boundary to end the closest match in the tournament so far. PHOTO: AFP
Zimbabwe enjoyed their first victory of the World Cup on Thursday but not before they were given a fright by UAE — one of the minnows of the current tournament.
The Africans’ four-wicket win at Nelson’s Saxton Oval came with 12 balls to spare and was set up by an 83-run sixth-wicket partnership between Sean Williams and Craig Ervine. Williams, the man-of-the-match, finished on 76 not out.
But before the Zimbabwe middle-order duo’s rescue mission, the amateurs from UAE, led by a banker and an airline purser — both aged 43 — had threatened a huge upset.
After being sent into bat, the weekend warriors posted a UAE all-time record ODI total of 285-7 and then reduced the Test-playing Zimbabweans to 167-5 in the 33rd over.
But they were unable to maintain the pressure, allowing Zimbabwe to slip away with Williams hitting a boundary to end the closest match in the tournament so far.
Sikandar Raza and Regis Chakabva made a cautious start to Zimbabwe’s reply, getting through to 64 before UAE skipper and banker Muhammad Tauqir made the breakthrough with Raza’s wicket for 46.
The next four wickets fell at regular intervals.
Zimbabwe’s batting rock, Hamilton Masakadza went for one, hit on the back pad in front of middle stump and Chakabva, on 35, was out hit wicket when he slipped playing back to a Tauqir delivery and his foot slipped into the stumps.
Brendan Taylor made 47 and Solomon Mire contributed nine to have Zimbabwe 167-5 before Williams and Ervine combined to all but prevent a shock loss.
Following Ervine’s removal with the score at 250, Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura partnered Williams through to the end.
UAE refuse to go down without a fight
As Zimbabwe celebrated the win, the UAE — a team that survives on a limited diet of international matches — revelled in their finest cricket performance.
Their total of 285 pipped their previous highest ODI score of 282 set against Afghanistan last year and easily bettered their previous best against a Test nation of 204 against Bangladesh in 2008.
Airline purser and vice-captain Khurram Khan made 45 with the bat, steadying the UAE innings after going to the middle at 40 for two.
The 35-year-old Shaiman Anwar bolstered the innings with his personal best of 67 coming from 50 balls in only his eighth international.
His partnership of 82 with Swapnil Patil (32) was a UAE record for the fifth wicket.
At the tail, Amjad Javed (25 not out) and Muhammad Naveed (23 not out) both posted their highest scores and their unbeaten eighth-wicket partnership of 53 was also a UAE record.
Tendai Chatara was the chief wicket-taker for Zimbabwe with 3-42.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th, 2015.
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ