Dynamic innings from Avishka Fernando and Najibullah Zadran gave NYS Lagos an advantage they never lost as they beat Durban Wolves by 10 runs in Tuesday’s first match of the Zim Afro T10 tournament at Harare Sports Club.
NYS Lagos won by 10 runs
NYS Lagos – 134-5 in 10 overs (Najibullah Zadran 43, Avishka Fernando 36, Ryan Burl 22*; Rohid Khan 2/13, Dawlat Zadran 2/16, Mohammad Irfan 1/23)
Durban Wolves – 124-5 in 10 overs (Sharjeel Khan 59, Regis Chakabva 27*, Will Smead 13; Thisara Perera 2/17, Matiullah Khan 1/15, Akhilesh Bogudum 1/16)
Fernando opened the innings and, although he lost the prolific Rassie van der Dussen for two, scored 36 off 16 balls in the first four overs.
Zadran followed up his good work with 43 off 17 balls, and with bits and pieces lower down the order Lagos ran up a total of 124 for five wickets.
This was despite tight bowling from Dawlat Zadran and Rohid Khan, who took two wickets each for 16 and 13 runs respectively.
Wolves’ opener Sharjeel Khan did his best for his team by making the highest score of the match, 59 off 30 balls, and Regis Chakabva chimed in down the order with 27 not out off 11 balls, but the middle order could not do much, and they could total only 124 for five wickets before their overs ran out.
Thisara Perera was the best of the bowlers with two wickets for 17 runs.
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Bulawayo Brave Jaguars – 96-8 in 10 overs (Nick Hobson 35, Anamul Haque 22, Carlos Braithwaite 13; Shehan Jayasuriya 2/6, Richard Gleeson 2/19, Brandon Mavuta 1/5)
Harare Bolts – 102-3 in 7.4 overs (Dasun Shanaka 47, Lahiru Milantha 20, James Neesham 17*; Daryn Dupavillon 2/7, Akila Dananjaya 1/20)
Harare Bolts won by seven wickets
A powerfully hit innings of 47 off 18 balls, including six sixes and a four, by Dasun Shanaka swept Harare Bolts to an easy victory over Bulawayo Braves Jaguars by seven wickets with 14 balls to spare.
The Australian David Warner played his first match for Jaguars, but was quickly out for two as they lost five wickets for 39 runs in 4.2 overs.
Warner and Kobey Herft were both dismissed in the single over bowled by Shehan Jayasuriya, whose two wickets for six runs caused great damage.
Had Nick Hobson not come in to hit 35 off 17 balls, their innings would have been a disaster – as it was, they reached 96 for eight wickets.
Bolts lost two wickets for 23 in the first two overs, but then Shanaka took charge and, helped by 17 not out from James Neesham, took his team to victory.
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Cape Town Samp Army – 82-7 in 10 overs (Rohan Mustafa 28, Qais Ahmed 12, Brian Bennett 11; Sikandar Raza 3/11, Tinashe Muchawaya 1/8, Karim Janat 1/8)
Joburg Bangla Tigers – 84-5 in 8.4 overs (Sikandar Raza 62*, Charith Asalanka 12, Hazratullah Zazai 2; David Willey 2/9, Tawanda Maposa 1/4, Qais Ahmed 1/11)
Joburg Bangla Tigers won by five wickets
Sikandar Raza finally found his form and took three wickets before hitting a dazzling 62 not out off 30 balls to bring a five-wicket victory for Joburg Bangla Tigers over Cape Town Samp Army.
The Samp Army innings never got going apart from Rohan Mustafa, who made 28 before being caught off Raza, who also removed Tadiwanashe Marumani and Ben Curran for only nine runs.
They could manage only 82 for seven wickets, leaving the Tigers with an easy target.
Tigers nearly messed it up, though, as they lost three wickets for 16 runs before Raza took charge, hitting four sixes and six fours as he scored all but 22 of his team’s runs.
David Willey took two wickets for nine runs in his two overs, but victory came for Tigers with eight balls to spare.
