Myers hits fifty but Zimbabwe A still face mammoth task
Pakistan Shaheens – 521-3 in 115.3 overs (Omair Yousuf 250*, Muhammad Hurraira 178, Hussain Talat 51*; Tanaka Chivanga 1/67, Faraz Akram 1/77, Victor Nyauchi 1/89)
Zimbabwe A – 112-4 in 41 overs (Dion Myers 56, Tanunurwa Makoni 21, Wessly Madhevere 15; Mehran Mumtaz 2/32)
Day 2 – Stumps: Zimbabwe A trail by 409 runs
Dion Myers scored a fighting fifty for Zimbabwe A but the home side are still facing a colossal task after enduring another gruelling day against the Pakistan Shaheens in the first four-day match at Kwekwe Sports Club on Thursday.
At stumps the hosts were 112 for four, still trailing the visitors’ total by 409 runs.
Earlier, the Pakistan Shaheens had declared their first innings on 521 for three in 115.3, with Omair Bin Yousuf accounting for nearly half the total after hitting an unbeaten 250.
The second day began with the tourists resuming at their overnight score of 352 for two, with Omair on 161 and Kamran Ghulam on five.
Omair, who had batted for most of the first day in partnership with Muhammad Hurraira, continued to accumulate runs at a comfortable pace but soon lost Ghulam, who was trapped lbw by an inswinger from Tanaka Chivanga for 26, with the total on 388.
His next partner, Hussain Talat, also found his form and gave him good support as he brought up his double-century.
The Zimbabwe A bowlers failed to take another wicket, and the visiting captain Imran Butt allowed Omair to reach 250 and Talat 51, both not out, before he applied the declaration in mid-afternoon.
The Pakistan Shaheens’ total then was an imposing 521 for three wickets, scored at a rate of about 4.5 runs an over.
Throughout his innings Omair had played with superb concentration and taken no risks as he applied himself all the time to scoring as many runs as possible.
He faced in all 342 deliveries and hit a six and 27 fours.
The three wickets to fall all went to the pace bowlers – one each to Victor Nyauchi, Faraz Akram and Chivanga – and none to the spinners, who were more economical though.
Zimbabwe A opened their batting with Joylord Gumbie and Tanu Makoni, but Gumbie soon ran himself out for one, attempting a risky second run from a stroke by Makoni and failing to beat the throw from Shahnawaz Dahani.
Myers then joined Makoni and they put together a good partnership of 64 for the second wicket.
They were well set and appeared to have the measure of the attack when the left-arm spinner Mehran Mumtaz came on, and Makoni on 21 edged a catch to Butt at first slip, the score being 66 for two.
Myers, the more aggressive of the two, went on to reach a good fifty, but when he had 56 he mistimed a late cut off Mumtaz and a sharp chance was again taken by Butt – 87 for three.
Roy Kaia struggled to get going, but Wessly Madhevere came in next and tried to carry the attack back to the bowlers.
He had made a fluent 15 when he moved down the pitch to drive the off-spinner Mubasir Khan, only for the bowler to pick up the ball and throw down the batter’s stumps as he tried in vain to regain the crease.
Akram came in and scored a single before the close, while Kaia was still there with 12 not out off 50 deliveries.
The score was 112 for four wickets, and Zimbabwe A have a long hard struggle ahead of them to avoid the possibility of a follow-on on Friday.
