The United Arab Emirates (UAE) made a good start to their tour of Zimbabwe with a comfortable five-wicket victory over an inexperienced Zimbabwe Chairman’s XI in a warm-up match played at Old Hararians Sports Club on Monday.
The leading figure of the match was their opening batsman, the 34-year-old Ashfaq Ahmed, who batted through the tourists’ innings for 131 not out, scored off 144 balls and including 16 fours and a six.
Zimbabwe’s most prominent player of the day was the 17-year-old Dion Myers, who hit a most impressive innings of 52 from number four.
On a warm sunny morning, the Chairman’s XI won the toss and decided to bat.
They quickly lost the wicket of their captain, Brian Chari, in the second over, caught at the wicket off the bowling of Qadeer Ahmed.
The pitch proved to be slow and uneven in bounce, so fast scoring was not easy for most batsmen.
Tinashe Kamunhukamwe and Roy Kaia struggled to get the score moving against a determined bowling attack, and when Kamunhukamwe (4) was caught in the slips off Ahmed in the sixth over the score was still only 10.
After 10 overs, with Kaia and Myers together, the score had reached only 22, with no boundaries yet recorded.
Kaia finally recorded the first boundary in the 13th over, a cut to third man, and followed it up four balls later by swinging a leg-side ball for four to long leg.
Having now discovered that scoring runs was possible, both batsmen began to play more positively, but at 47, in the 17th over, Kaia ran himself out.
He had scored 26 when he cut a ball to backward point and, without waiting to see if the ball was fielded, started off for a run and failed to get back in time.
With Ryan Burl in, the team fifty came up in the 18th over.
Burl was eager to get the score moving, and soon lofted a four over cow corner and a six over long-on, soon followed by another straight six.
The team hundred came up in the 24th over, with Burl almost catching up with Myers as both batsmen entered the thirties.
However, Myers pulled in front again and reached an admirable fifty, off 70 balls, before Burl reached 40.It took another run-out to remove him shortly afterwards, going for a quick single, out for a most impressive innings of 52.
Myers faced 72 balls and hit five fours; the score was 127 for four after 30 overs.
Tony Munyonga (3) fell to a third run-out, backing up too eagerly and unable to get back before mid-on threw the stumps down; 131 for five in the 32nd over.
Wickets continued to fall, as Burl, aiming for a leg-side six off Imran Haider, skyed a ball high towards midwicket that was very well held by the deep fielder running in.He made 44 off 56 balls, and the score was now 138 for six.
Luke Oldknow scored three before he skyed a catch to long-on at 141 for seven, but Richmond Mutumbami was more successful in lofting Haider for six over midwicket, before being out lbw to Zahoor Khan for 16; 161 for eight in the 40th over.Neville Madziva and Carl Mumba kept the score moving well until it reached 200 in the 47th over.They continued to hit until in the final over Madziva was bowled by Ahmed for 27, after an excellent ninth-wicket partnership of 57 that gave their team something to bowl at.
Mumba, who hit two sixes and three fours, finished unbeaten with 39, Ainsley Ndlovu with three, of the total of 228 for nine wickets.
Ahmed was the most successful bowler, taking three wickets for 32 off his 10 overs, while Haider had two for 46 off his.
Despite a short lunch interval, the tourists were still late starting their reply due to their very slow over rate.Ashfaq Ahmed and Chirag Suri opened to the bowling of Ngarava and Madziva.Suri had not scored when he attempted to pull a short ball from Ngarava, and the bowler himself took the skyed catch off the top edge.
Ashfaq Ahmed played himself in well, and then showed intent by pulling Ngarava for two powerful fours in three balls.
He continued to play the aggressor while the left-handed Ghulam Shabber played a quieter game in support, although when he had 11 he drove a ball waist-high into the covers, but the diving fielder was unable to hold it.
Ahmed reached his fifty off 66 balls, out of a score of 71.
The same steady progress continued, the team hundred coming up in the 27th over, rather behind the required run rate at this stage, but the batsmen seemed quite in control and in no hurry.
But now they decided to increase the tempo, looking for at least a single off every ball, and the highest score struggled to stem the leaks.
The pair added 131 runs together before Shabber was finally caught low down at backward point by Kaia off Ngarava for 40, scored off 75 balls; 136 for two in the 32nd over.
Chundangapoyil Rizwan was in next, made 10 before he holed out at deep square leg off Ndlovu; 154 for three.
By now Ahmed was on 93, and off the next two delivery he moved to 98.
He took a couple more overs to reach his century, but finally it came off 120 balls.
Both batsmen now went on the attack and boundaries flowed.
Shaiman Anwar scored 20 off 11 balls before he was bowled at 202 for four, attempting another big hit off Munyonga.
After his dismissal, Ahmed seemed to tire, unless he felt the need for caution.
Mohammad Usman fell for 11, five runs short of victory, as he drove Kaia uppishly towards mid-off, where Munyonga leapt sideways to complete a good catch.
A few minutes later Mohammad Boota (7 not out) hit the winning four off Kaia and the tourists completed a comfortable victory with almost four overs to spare.
Ngarava was the most successful bowler, with two wickets for 27, while Ndlovu did a good holding job with one for 37 off his 10 overs.
Brief Score
Zimbabwe Chairman’s XI – 228-9 in 50 overs (Dion Myers 52, Ryan Burl 44, Carl Mumba 39*; Qadeer Ahmed 3/32, Imran Haider 2/46, Zahoor Khan 1/46)
United Arab Emirates – 232-5 in 46.1 overs (Asgfaq Ahmed 131*, Ghulam Shabber 40, Shaiman Anwar 20; Richard Ngarava 2/27, Roy Kaia 1/7, Ainsley Ndlovu 1/37)
United Arab Emirates won by five wickets
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