Wellington Masakadza starred with the ball for Zimbabwe
Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE made light work of visiting Afghanistan when they thrashed the Asians by eight wickets with an enormous 160 deliveries to spare in the first One Day International cricket match played at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Friday.
Zimbabwean bowlers did a marvellous job to bowl Afghanistan 122 all out in 34.1 overs. Left arm spinners Wellington Masakadza, debutant Tendai Chisoro and pace bowler Luke Jongwe took all the wickets which fell. Chamunorwa Chibhabha then top scored with 58 runs to steer Zimbabwe to a comfortable win in 23.2 overs.
The win gave Zimbabwe a 1-0 lead in the five match ODI contest with the second match set for the same venue on Sunday.
Zimbabwean bowlers never gave Afghanistan time to settle down at the crease soon as the tourists had won the toss and opted to bat. Pace bowler Luke Jongwe picked up three wickets in quick succession to leave the visitors reeling at 34-3 in the 10th over. Left arm spinner Masakadza, later named man of the match joined weighed in with two scalps in one over to reduce Afghanistan to 52 for the loss of five wickets in 15.2 overs.
Masakadza was deprived of a third wicket when Najibullah Zadran on a duck was dropped by Chisoro due to indecision between him and Jongwe on who should effect the dismissal. Chisoro, playing in his maiden ODI went for the catch and put it down.
Chisoro made amends with a catch to remove Samiullah Shinwari off the bowling of Masakadza to hand the young left arm spinner his third wicket.
In his very first over in international cricket, Chisoro had Amir Hamza out leg before wicket. As Chisoro, a player changed from a left arm seamer to a spinner struck again in his second over to remove Najibullah Zadran for 25 runs, Afghanistan were eight wickets down for 95 runs.
Dawlat Zadran cracked Chisoro for a six in the spinner’s third over but the bowler had the last laugh, getting him taken at slip by Craig Ervine for 25 runs off 34 deliveries, an innings made up of three fours and one six to leave Afghanistan on 122 for nine in 33.2 overs.
Masakadza finished off the Afghanistan innings when he had Aftab Alam stumped by Richmond Mutumbami for one run.
Masakadza had figures of four wickets for 21 runs in 6.1 overs, Chisoro took three wickets for 16 runs in five overs, two of them costing no run while Jongwe had three wickets for 16 runs in seven overs.
With the visitors bowled out before the lunch break, Zimbabwe started off their run chase prior to the interval. Requiring 2.46 runs per over, the openers Mutumbami and Chamunorwa Chibhabha put on 53 for the first wicket.
Mutumbami was out for 30 runs, dismissed by Alam who had him taken by wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad.
Heading into the lunch, Zimbabwe had progressed to 57 for one in 14 overs, Chibhabha on 26 runs while Ervine was on one run. Chibhabha reached his half century off 62 deliveries with three fours and one six. He gave away his wicket, dismissed by Amir Hamza who had him taken at mid wicket by Najibullah Zadran to depart for 58 runs from 69 balls, an innings comprising of four fours and one six.
Tinotenda Mutombodzi finished the match with a six off Shenwari as Zimbabwe picked up a marvellous win.