Zimbabwe ride on three half centurions

By Suneer Chowdhary

 

In what is an inconsequential game as far as the tournament is concerned, but would have had the two African sides wanting to end on a high, Zimbabwe batted first and got to 308 for 6 against Kenya at the end of the stipulated 50 overs. There were three half-centurions in the Zimbabwean innings.

By Suneer Chowdhary

 

Kolkata: Mar 20, 2011

 

In what is an inconsequential game as far as the tournament is concerned, but would have had the two African sides wanting to end on a high, Zimbabwe batted first and got to 308 for six against Kenya at the end of the stipulated 50 overs. There were three half-centurions in the Zimbabwean innings.

 

Zimbabwe built their innings well despite losing a couple of early and rather vital wickets. The century partnership-makers, Brendan Taylor and Regis Chakabva were both sent back within the first Powerplay. Chakabva edged one from Nehemiah Odhiambo to the wicket-keeper while the more important dismissal of Taylor followed when he tried to loft Elijah Otieno over the mid-on fielder. Taylor only managed to spoon it to James Ngoche.

 

Fortunately for Zimbabwe, both Tatenda Taibu and Vusi Sibanda remained undeterred and kept themselves busy and the scoreboard ticking. In fact, after a slow start, Sibanda was the more aggressive of the two batsmen and even got to his half-century with a six over long-on off the captain for the day Steve Tikolo.

 

His 61 came off only 57 deliveries.

 

Where the two did not acquit themselves too well was the running between the wickets. There were a couple of closed chances with their running between the wickets and it took a third one to get Sibanda out. Taibu called him for a single and then went back to the cool confines of his own crease to have Sibanda stranded.

 

Taibu got to his half century soon but was given out while trying to reverse sweep to Ngoche for 53. Zimbabwe were 165 for four in the 33^rd over at this stage. The run-rate looked good at this stage but with a long tail that the side has, things could have turned nasty.

 

Instead Craig Ervine and Elton Chigumbura not only steadied the innings but also got the runs at a good rate. Chigumbura was slow to start off with, scoring only four off his first 17 balls but with the ease with which Ervine was batting at the other end, the confidence began to soar skywards.

 

With Kenyan wicket-keeper David Obuya off the field due to a stomach injury, his back-up Rakep Patel fluffed up a couple of chances, one of each. Ervine took full toll of his lapse and got to his half-century in the Batting Powerplay, 50 runs coming off those five overs.

 

Chigumbura’s innings was curtailed while going for a slog in the Powerplay for 38 and after a few more hits to the fence, Ervine fell for 66. Greg Lamb and Prosper Utseya smashed a few down the order to get the side to more than 300. Utseya batted six balls and slammed a six and three fours to ensure that the side had got to 308 for six in their 50 overs that included a whopping 103 runs in the last ten overs.

 

Brief Scores: Zimbabwe 308 for 6 in 50 overs (Craig Ervine 66, Vus Sibanda 63, Tatenda Taibu 53, Elton Chigumbura 38; Elijah Otieno 2 or 61, Peter Ongondo 1 for 53) vs Kenya.

 

 

(Suneer is a Mumbai-based cricket writer and can be contacted at suneerchowdhary@gmail.com and Tweets here @suneerchowdhary)

 

 

Pictures © Getty Images

 

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