Zimbabwe levelled the 3 matches series against the Netherlands by beating them by 1 run in a nail-biting encounter played at Harare sports club.
The chevrons won the toss and chose to bat first on a flat wicket which was not offering much for the bowlers.
Zimbabwe started well with the opening partnership of Craig Ervine and Wessley Madhevere scoring 61 runs for the first wicket stand. Ervine then perished for 39 runs when he was bowled out by Colin Ackermann.
A cluster of wickets then fell for the host leaving them stranded at 120/5, Sean Williams and Clive Madande managed to revive the innings with a solid 6th wicket partnership of 104 runs.
Williams top scoring for Zimbabwe with 77 runs of 73 balls, Madande scored his second consecutive half-century as he fell for 52 runs as they set a target of 271.
Netherlands leg spinner Shariz Ahmad was the pick of the bowlers claiming a five-wicket haul for just 43 runs.
The Dutch chase got off to a flyer scoring 41 runs before Vikramjit Singh was caught by Wellington Masakadza of the bowling Blessing Muzarabani.
They carried on at a good pace as the second-wicket partnership of Max O’Dowd and Tom Cooper posted 125 runs. It ended when Cooper fell 74 through a run-out by wicketkeeper Madande.
Madhevere who was named the man of the match turned the match on its head in the 44th over when he picked up a hat trick of wickets and brought the chevrons into the match.
Sikander Raza kept pilling the pressure claiming 3/39 as Zimbabwe just managed to get home by a whisker.
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