Bad light ends play early as South Africa A level series

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South Africa A – 266-6 in 46.5 overs (Reeza Hendricks 102, Ryan Rickelton 63, Heinrich Klaasen 28*; Tendai Chatara 2/44, Wellington Masakadza 2/49, Sikandar Raza 2/56)

Zimbabwe XI – 93-4 in 20 overs (Sikandar Raza 39*, Mlton Shumba 31*, Takudzwanashe Kaitano 14; Lizaad Williams 2/19, Gerald Coetzee 1/2, Daryn Dupavillon 1/10)

 

South Africa A won by 51 runs (Duckworth-Lewis method)

Sikandar Raza and Milton Shumba led a fine recovery operation after a disastrous start to the Zimbabwe XI innings, but could not prevent a 51-run Duckworth-Lewis defeat by South Africa A in the second one-day match at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.

The home side again won the toss and took the same course as in the first match by sending the tourists into bat.

Tendai Chatara struck early when he trapped the opening batter, Tony de Zorzi, lbw for a single, with 13 runs on the board.

Then followed the big stand of the innings, as Reeza Hendricks joined Ryan Rickelton and the pair dominated the Zimbabwean bowling to put on 106 for the second wicket in 21 overs.

Halfway through the 50 overs, Wellington Masakadza finally broke the stand by having Rickelton caught at deep midwicket for 63, and scored off 82 balls with six and five fours.

Khaya Zondo did not last long, as he was bowled by Raza for six, at 127 for three.

Theunis de Bruyn scored 24 before being caught at long-on off Masakadza.

 

The score was 205 when Hendricks was smartly stumped by Richmond Mutumbami off Raza for a fine inning of 102 – he faced 107 balls in almost two-and-a-half hours and hit 10 fours, an innings that gave his team a considerable advantage.

Andile Phehlukwayo contributed an aggressive 27 before he was caught at deep midwicket off Chatara, returning for his final spell.

Now Heinrich Klaassen, with 28 not out off 16 balls, and Bjorn Fortuin, eight not out off six balls, began to attack the bowling furiously at the death.

They were interrupted, though, by an untimely burst of rain that drove the players off the field and so held up play that the innings had to be cut short after 46.5 overs, with the score at 266 for six wickets.

Three Zimbabwean bowlers took two wickets each: Chatara had two for 44 in 8.5 overs, with rain stopping him from completing his quota, while Masakadza had two for 49 and Raza two for 56 in their full 10 overs.

The Duckworth-Lewis calculation gave Zimbabwe XI the very difficult target of 283 runs to win in 46 overs.

After eight overs, their innings was virtually in tatters.

Kevin Kasuza (1) was out in the first over, as he chopped a delivery from Lizaad Williams onto his stumps.

Takudzwanashe Kaitano played some good strokes to take the score to 23 in the sixth over, but then the real disaster began, as he hit across a straight ball from Daryn Dupavillon to be lbw for 14.

One over later Prince Masvaure (6) drove a catch to extra cover off Williams, and then Wessly Madhevere was again out to a hook stroke, caught at square leg without scoring.

Zimbabwe XI were deep in trouble at 23 for four wickets as Shumba and Raza came together with the task of repairing the damage.

They did a fine job in a very difficult situation, selecting their shots very well and keeping the score moving at quite a good pace, while all the time the light was deteriorating and rain threatening.

The umpires kept the players on the field until 20 overs had been bowled, the minimum necessary for a match to be decided according to Duckworth-Lewis, and then immediately took them off the field.

The score at this stage was a much healthier 93 for four wickets, with Shumba on 31 and Raza 39.

No improvement came, however, and soon after 1630 hours, the match was declared over, with South Africa A victors under Duckworth-Lewis by 51 runs.

Williams was the best of their bowlers, bowling five overs to take two wickets for 19 runs.

 

The three one-day series is now tied at one victory apiece, with the decisive match scheduled for Friday.

 

SOURCE: ZIMBABWE CRICKET