Qalandars, Buffaloes claim top two spots as Braves finish last

Durban Qalandars – 103-8 in 10 overs (Asif Ali 32, George Linde 28, Azmatullah Ormazai 7; Taskin Ahmed 3/20, Patrick Dooley 2/16, Tymal Mills 2/29) 

Bulawayo Braves – 96-7 in 10 overs (Beau Webster 40, Sikandar Raza 21, Thisara Perera 12; Tendai Chatara 3/9, Brad Evans 2/9, Daryn Dupavillion 1/13)

Durban Qalandars won by seven wickets

Fine bowling by Brad Evans and Tendai Chatara did most to bring about a fine seven-run victory for the Durban Qalandars over the Bulawayo Braves in Thursday’s first Zim Afro T10 match at Harare Sports Club.

The Qalandars had looked doomed to defeat when, after choosing to bat, they lost their first four wickets, three of them to Taskin Ahmed, for only 14 runs.

However, Asif Ali, with 32, and George Linde, with 28 not out off only 11 balls, enabled them to recover enough to reach 103 for eight wickets.

Ahmed finished with three wickets for 20 runs.

The Braves also suffered a disastrous start with three wickets down for 15, Evans bowling out two.

Sikandar Raza (21) and Beau Webster (40) then brought about such a fine recovery that 12 runs were needed in the final over, bowled by Chatara with Webster facing.

They got only four of them, as Chatara’s second ball removed Webster, and the last two wickets fell to the last two deliveries, making the final total 96 for seven.

In two overs each, Evans finished with two wickets for nine runs, and Chatara – who crucially also bowled out Raza – three for nine.

The victory saw the Qalandars shooting to the top of the Zim Afro T10 points table and they will now face the second-placed Johannesburg Buffaloes in the first qualifier on Friday, while the Cape Town Samp Army will take on the Harare Hurricanes in the eliminator.

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Harare Hurricanes – 81-7 in 10 overs (Mohammad Nabi 19, Donovan Ferreira 15, Regis Chakabva 10; Noor Ahmad 2/7, Mohammad Hafeez 2/21, Blessing Muzarabani 1/6) 

Johannesburg Buffaloes – 82-1 in 6.2 overs (Will Smead 44*, Tom Banton 28*, Mohammad Hafeez 7; Sreesanth 1/6)

Johannesburg Buffaloes won by nine wickets

An unbroken match-winning partnership of 69 for the second wicket between two English batters, Tom Banton and Will Smeed, took the Johannesburg Buffaloes to an easy nine-wicket victory over the Harare Hurricanes in the second match of the evening.

The Hurricanes chose to bat, but their innings never got going properly.

Donovan Ferreira (15) and Mohammad Nabi (19) were the only batters to score more than 10, and they lost seven wickets for 68 before finishing with a score of 81 for seven.

Blessing Muzarabani dismissed Ferreira and conceded only six runs in his two overs, while Noor Ahmed took two for seven.

The Buffaloes lost Mohammad Hafeez for seven, but then Banton, with 28 off 14 balls, and Smeed, 44 off 19, raced to victory with almost four overs in hand.

 

ZIM AFRO T10 POINTS TABLE