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Namibia – 128-8 in 20 overs (Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 28, Gerhard Erasmus 25, Zane Green 20; Sikandar Raza 3/16, Tendai Chatara 3/28, Wessly Madhevere 1/8)
Zimbabwe – 129-2 in 17.1 overs (Wessly Madhevere 73*, Regis Chakabva 24*, Innocent Kaia 19; Jan Frylinck 1/21, Bernard Scholtz 1/25)
Zimbabwe won by eight wickets
Tendai Chatara and Sikandar Raza took the bowling honours, while Wessly Madhevere played a dominating innings of 73 not out to take Zimbabwe to an excellent eight-wicket victory in the third T20I match against Namibia at Queens Sports Club on Saturday.
For the first time the tourists won the toss and they decided to bat.
Chatara made an early breakthrough for Zimbabwe, bowling out Craig Williams for three in the second over, with the score on seven.
In his next over, he removed the other opening batter, Divan la Cock, lbw for 14, and Namibia were 27 for two.
There followed two good partnerships for Namibia, the first between Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, who scored 28 off 23 balls before Madhevere removed him lbw, and the captain, Gerhard Erasmus – they took the score to 60 for three in the ninth over.
Then Erasmus was joined by Zane Green, and they added 39 together before Green was caught at the wicket by Regis Chakabva off the bowling of Raza for 20 (18 balls) – 99 for four in the 15th over.
This was the turning point of the innings, as the Zimbabwean bowlers broke through and never relinquished their grip.
Only one run had been added, to bring up the team hundred, when the captain was run out by Raza for 25, scored off 32 balls.
Raza was on a roll, as he took two more wickets in his next two overs, while Chatara returned to have David Wiese caught by Madhevere for 10.
Only 29 runs could be scored in the last five overs while four wickets fell, and Namibia finished with eight wickets down for 128, a total which Zimbabwe would be expected to take in their stride.
Chatara took three wickets for 28 in his four overs, while Raza’s four-over spell at the end of the innings brought him three for 16.
Madhevere and Innocent Kaia opened the batting for Zimbabwe without too much pressure for quick runs, but they were soon scoring freely, the score reaching 41 after five overs.
They put on 61 together in almost nine overs before Kaia, who had had less of the bowling, was caught off Bernard Schultz for 19, scored off 18 balls.
Madhevere was not at all distracted, as with two successive fours and a single off Erasmus, he reached a fine fifty off 41 balls.
Craig Ervine again could not get going, and was caught at the wicket off Jan Frylinck for six, making the score 81 for two in the 12th over.
Chakabva began carefully, but then he and Madhevere laid into the bowling in fine style, sweeping Zimbabwe to victory with a final total of 129 for two and almost three overs to spare.
Madhevere finished with a superb 73 not out off 61 balls, with a six and eight fours, while Chakabva had 24 off 19 balls.
All of the Namibian bowlers went for at least six runs an over, and they could take only two wickets.
Zimbabwe now lead the five-match series by two victories to one.
SOURCE: ZIMBABWE CRICKET
