Tag: Zimbabwe

Richard Ngarava took four of Ireland top-order wickets as Zimbabwe hit back in dramatic style to take charge of a one-off Test in Belfast on Saturday.

Zimbabwe started the third day on 12-0 but were dismissed for 197 in their second innings, with Ireland off-spinner Andy McBrine taking 4-38.

That left Ireland with a victory target of 158 but their leading batsmen proved powerless to resist 26-year-old left-arm paceman Ngarava, who had the superb stumps figures of 4-12 from four overs, with the hosts 33-5 at the close and still needing a further 125 runs to win.

Zimbabwe had almost erased a first-innings deficit of 40 runs when Joylord Gumbie was caught in the slips off Craig Young.

Three balls later, Barry McCarthy had Prince Masvaure, the other Zimbabwe opener, caught behind before Craig Ervine was lbw to Mark Adair.

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But a stand of 68 between Sean Williams and Dion Myers, who top-scored in the innings with 57, helped turn the tide before Williams was out for 40.

McBrine cleaned up the tail to leave Ireland with a seemingly modest target and more than two days in which to get the runs.

Ngarava had other ideas, however, as he took two wickets in two balls to dismiss Peter Moor and Curtis Campher.

New-ball partner Blessing Muzarabani then got in on the act by removing Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie.

Ngarava continued the collapse, with Harry Tector (nought) and Paul Stirling (10) both caught behind by wicketkeeper Clive Madande before rain cut short the day’s play.

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Barry McCarthy took three wickets as Ireland recovered to dismiss Zimbabwe for 210 on the opening day of a historic one-off Test in Belfast on Thursday.

As soon as a toss at the Stormont ground won by home captain Andy Balbirnie was complete, the match was assured of a place in the record books as the first Test staged in Northern Ireland.

But Zimbabwe, after openers Prince Masvaure (74) and Joylord Gumbie (49) had shared an opening stand of 97, were well-placed at 143-2 only to lose their last eight wickets for 57 runs courtesy of Ireland bowlers’ dominant display.

Barry McCarthy took 3-42 and off-spinner Andy McBrine followed up with 3-37.

“I think the two openers batted quite nicely,” said McCarthy, who was glad to see Ireland eventually take advantage of favourable conditions for pace bowling.

“The bounce and shape was nice, something you love as a bowler. We knew if we get one or two, the wickets would follow.”

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Masvaure, a 35-year-old left-hander, said he was happy “to come into the side and put in a solid performance”, adding: “I would’ve loved to go all the way (to a hundred). It was nice that Gumbie was positive and gave us that start we needed…we’ll take that score.”

Gumbie fell one short of a fifty on Test debut when he chipped seamer McCarthy to Curtis Campher at square leg.

But Masvaure completed a fourth fifty in his ninth Test as Zimbabwe ended a rain-marred second session on 153-3.

Masvaure had surpassed his previous highest Test score of 65 when he was well caught down the legside by wicketkeeper Locran Tucker off Campher to end a 152-ball innings including eight fours.

McBrine then struck twice in two balls, with Clive Madande out for a golden duck before McCarthy returned to end the innings in the 72nd over when Tendai Chatara was caught behind.

Ireland were then spared what could have been an awkward start to their reply when a fresh downpour cut short the first day’s play.

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HARARE: Mukesh Kumar took four wickets after Sanju Samson scored a half-century to steer India to a dominant victory over Zimbabwe in the fifth T20I at Harare Sports Club, winning the series 4-1.

While batting first India posted 167-6, which they successfully defended by bundling Zimbabwe for 125 in 18.3 overs.

Kumar provided India with an early breakthrough as he bowled Wessly Madhevere in the first over, followed by Brian Bennett’s wicket in his next over with 15 runs on the board.

Tadiwanashe Marumani (27) partnered with Dion Myers (34) to add 44 runs for the third wicket before Washington Sundar broke the partnership.

Myers added another 26 runs with Sikandar Raza before they both departed in back-to-back overs, opening the floodgates as Zimbabwe soon reduced to 94-7.

Faraz Akram played a 13-ball cameo, scoring 27 runs with two boundaries and as many sixes but Mukesh Kumar dismissed him and last man Richard Ngarava on successive balls to lead India to a 42-run victory.

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Kumar led the bowling charts with bowling figures of 4-22, while Shivam Dube claimed two wickets.

Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe invited India to bat first and reduced them to 40-3 in five overs before Sanju Samson and Ryan Parag knitted a 65-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Parag played a scratchy knock of 22 runs from 24 balls while Samson scored a cautious half-century, scoring 58 off 45 with four sixes and one boundary.

Shivam Dube played a quick 26-run innings from 12 balls, laced with two sixes and two fours to help India score 167-6 in 20 overs.

For Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani took two wickets, while Sikandar Raza, Richard Ngarava and Brandon Mavuta bagged one wicket each.

For the unversed, Zimbabwe stunned India in the first match before the latter made a thumping comeback winning the next four matches to clinch the series.

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HARARE: Abhishek Sharma scored a blistering century to help India thump Zimbabwe by a huge 100-run margin in the second T20I to level the three-match series here at Harare Sports Club on Sunday.

India, after suffering a narrow loss yesterday, bounced back in the second match of the series as they bundled Zimbabwe for 134 while defending a massive 234.

Mukesh Kumar drew first blood for India during their defence as he removed Innocent Kaia (4) in the first over.

Brian Bennett played a nine-ball cameo of 26 runs with one boundary and three sixes, including back-to-back sixes against Kumar. However, Kumar got the last laugh as he bowled Bennett on the next ball.

Avesh Khan dismissed Dion Myers (0) and Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza (4) in the next over to reduce the batting side to 46-4 in four overs.

Johnathan Campbell scored 10 off 18 in a scratchy 26-run partnership with opening batter Wessly Madhevere before Washington Sundar ended the former’s brief stay on the crease.

Madhevere and Luke Jongwe added 41 runs for the eighth wicket, however, the target was out of reach with the required run-rate going over 20 runs.

Ravi Bishnoi castled Madhevere, who top-scored for Zimbabwe with 43 off 39, which included three boundaries and one six.

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Meanwhile, Jongwe was the last wicket to fall as the hosts bundled for 134 in 18.4 overs. He scored a 26-ball 33 with four boundaries.

Avesh Khan returned with bowling figures of 3-15, while Mukesh Kumar claimed 3-35.

Earlier in the day, Indian captain Shubman Gill opted to bat first, however, he fell in the second over after scoring a mere two runs.

Ruturaj Gaikwad joined Abhishek Sharma on the crease and together they wreaked havoc on Zimbabwe bowlers.

They constructed a partnership of 137 runs for the second innings in 76 balls with Sharma being the chief contributor.

Sharma, playing his second T20I game, scored his maiden century in the format in 46 balls with a six off Wellington Masakadza. However, he got out in the next ball, finishing with 100 off 47 with the help of seven fours and eight sixes.

Rinku Singh joined hands with Gaikwad and carried the momentum, adding 87 runs in six overs to help their team score a massive 234-2 in their allocated 20 overs.

Gaikwad scored an unbeaten 77 off 47 with the help of eleven boundaries and one six, while Singh scored 48 off 22 with five sixes and two fours.

For Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani and Wellington Masakadza claimed one wicket each.

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DHAKA: Sikandar Raza and Brian Bennett hit half-centuries as Zimbabwe secured an eight-wicket consolation victory over Bangladesh in the final T20I at Shere Bangla National Stadium on Sunday to avoid a 5-0 whitewash.

Captain Raza hit an unbeaten 72 off 46 to guide Zimbabwe to 158-2 after they restricted Bangladesh to 157-6. Meanwhile, Bennett struck 70 off 49 balls after picking up 2-20 with the ball.

Zimbabwe lost opener Tadiwanashe Marumani for one, but Bennett and Raza added 75 runs for the second wicket to put the visitors firmly in control.

Mohammad Saifuddin dismissed Bennett, who struck five fours and as many sixes, but Raza defied a muscle injury to see Zimbabwe to victory.

He struck six fours and four sixes in his unbeaten knock before Johnathan Campbell hit the winning single with nine balls to spare.

Mahmudullah Riyad earlier hit 54 off 44 balls for Bangladesh. The right-hander, who struck six fours and a six, put on 69 runs with skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto to help Bangladesh recover from 15-3 after they were asked to bat.

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All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan added 21 off 17 balls after Najmul’s departure for 36 runs after facing 28 balls.

The hosts were in trouble when Blessing Muzarabani removed opener Tanzid Hasan Tamim for two and Brian Bennett struck twice in successive overs.

Bennett had opener Soumya Sarkar caught by Sean Williams at backward point for seven before he forced Towhid Hridoy to edge behind for one.

Mahmudullah launched a counter-attack, cracking three fours off the first four balls he faced.

Wellington Masakadza dismissed Najmul to break the partnership, but Shakib’s brief cameo kept the scoreboard ticking.

Luke Jongwe brought a premature end to Shakib’s innings, but Jaker Ali Anik hit an unbeaten 24 off 11 balls.

Notably, Bangladesh won the first four matches to attain an unassailable lead in the series.

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Bangladesh on Wednesday recalled all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman for the final two T20Is of the five-match series against Zimbabwe.

Former captain Shakib has not played a T20 since July 2023 and was this year elected as a member of parliament for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s ruling party.

Shakib has refused to draw the curtains on his cricket career, and his participation in this series is the strongest indication that he will compete in next month’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).

“We expect him to play in the World Cup. This is why he is back in the squad for this series,” Jalal Yunus, the cricket operations chief of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), told AFP.

Left-arm pace bowler Mustafizur was rested for the first three matches after returning from the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he was the season’s joint-highest wicket-taker for the Chennai Super Kings.

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Top-order batsman Soumya Sarkar also returned to the side after missing the first three matches due to injury.

Parvez Hossain Emon and Afif Hossain, both named in the squad for the first three matches but neither making the XI, have been left out. Meanwhile, pace bowler Shoriful Islam also rested to accommodate the returning trio.

Bangladesh have already sealed the series 3-0, with the last two matches scheduled in Dhaka on Friday and Sunday.

The Zimbabwe tour is the last home series for Bangladesh before the T20 World Cup kicks off on June 1.

Yunus said the BCB expected to announce its World Cup squad at the end of the series.

Bangladesh Squad

Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Liton Das, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Shakib Al Hasan, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Jaker Ali Anik, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Soumya Sarkar, Tanvir Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin.

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Zimbabwe missing next month’s ICC T20 World Cup 2024 would haunt the team for years, captain Sikandar Raza said Thursday on the eve of their white-ball series in Bangladesh.

Minnows Namibia and Uganda beat out Zimbabwe in the African leg of the qualifiers last year to join the world’s top teams at the tournament, jointly hosted by the United States of America (USA) and the West Indies.

“I think that’s something that will always be painful. Not just when we play, I think even when we retire,” Sikandar Raza told reporters in Chittagong.

“It’s not just pain that we’re feeling now, I think it’s something that we’re going to have to carry for a long time.”

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But he added that Zimbabwe had no shortage of motivation for their time in Bangladesh, with the first of five T20 matches beginning in Chittagong on Friday.

“We have a huge responsibility back home as well for the people and the kids that are playing this sport and the kids who want to make a career out of this sport,” he said.

“The future of the sport in (my) country is enough motivation for me to try and take away the pain.”

Zimbabwe’s tour will also be Bangladesh’s last series at home before they depart for the T20 World Cup.

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Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has named a 15-member squad, featuring 26-year-old Johnathan Campbell, who is the son of former national captain Alistair Campbell, to play the five-match T20I series against Bangladesh starting on May 3.

Campbell, a leg-spin bowling all-rounder, has earned his first call-up to the senior team, having previously represented Zimbabwe’s emerging team in the 13th African Games last month.

He contributed with 115 runs in four innings at a strike rate of 126.37 and took one wicket, helping his team win the gold medal.

His father Alistair Campbell led Zimbabwe in 21 Tests and 86 ODIs from 1996 to 2002.

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Meanwhile, top-order batter Tadiwanashe Marumani and allrounder Faraz Akram have earned recalls for the Bangladesh tour under the leadership of Sikandar Raza.

Marumani and Akram missed the T20I series against Sri Lanka, which Zimbabwe lost.

Zimbabwe and Bangladesh will square off in the first of the three-match T20I series in Chattogram on 3 May.

The next two matches will be played at the same venue on 5 and 7 May, while Dhaka will host the last two matches on May 10 and 12.

Zimbabwe T20I squad: Sikandar Raza (c), Faraz Akram, Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Johnathan Campbell, Craig Ervine, Joylord Gumbie (wk), Luke Jongwe, Clive Madande (wk), Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Ainsley Ndlovu, Richard Ngarava, Sean Williams

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Zimbabwe included uncapped Tapiwa Mufudza in the ODI squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka, scheduled in January.

The 33-year-old was called up by caretaker coach Walter Chawaguta after Dave Houghton quit last month, saying he had “lost the changing room” following a series of disappointing results.

Off-spinner Mufudza got the nod after consistently impressive performances at the domestic level in the southern African nation.

Pace bowler Faraz Akram, who has only played international cricket in the Twenty20 side, is also in line to make his ODI debut.

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Zimbabwe will also play three T20I matches in Colombo with Mufudza, Akram and Takudzwanashe Kaitano dropping out and Brian Bennett, Carl Mumba and Ainsley Ndlovu taking their places.

The ODI matches are scheduled for January 6, 8 and 11 and the T20I matches for January 14, 16 and 18.

Zimbabwe ODI squad

Craig Ervine (c), Faraz Akram, Ryan Burl, Joylord Gumbie, Luke Jongwe, Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Clive Madande, Wellington Masakadza, Tapiwa Mufudza, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Sikandar Raza, Milton Shumba

Zimbabwe T20I squad

Sikandar Raza (c), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Craig Ervine, Joylord Gumbie, Luke Jongwe, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, Clive Madande, Wellington Masakadza, Carl Mumba, Tony Munyonga, Blessing Muzarabani, Ainsley Ndlovu, Richard Ngarava, Milton Shumba

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Zimbabwe Cricket said Thursday that two national players had been suspended for “recreational drug use”.

“The concerned players, Wesley Madhevere and Brandon Mavuta, both tested positive for a banned recreational drug in an out-of-competition case recorded during a recent in-house doping test,” the board said in a statement.

Madhevere and Mavuta have been suspended “with immediate effect” until a hearing is held on the breach of anti-doping rules.

The board did not say what drug was involved nor when they had failed the tests.

But the suspensions are a new blow after coach Dave Houghton resigned this week over Zimbabwe’s failure to reach next year’s T20 World Cup.

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“They have been charged under the Zimbabwe Cricket Code of Conduct for players and team officials and will appear for a disciplinary hearing soon,” the statement said.

Twenty-three-year-old allrounder Madhevere is considered one of the national team’s rising talents. He made his debut for Zimbabwe in 2020 and has since played in two Tests, 36 one-day internationals and 60 Twenty20 internationals.

Mavuta, 26, has four Tests, 12 one-day internationals and 10 T20 internationals to his name.

Both were in the Zimbabwe squad for the one-day series against Ireland this month which the side lost 2-1.

Zimbabwe has started a major inquest after failing to reach next year’s T20 World Cup and being beaten in the Ireland series. Houghton resigned saying he had “lost the change room”.

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