Report on Zimbabwe A v Zimbabwe Under-19s 2nd match 2003/04 by John Ward

---

Scorecard:

Zimbabwe A v Zimbabwe Under-19s

---

There was another good match at Country Club in Harare, where Zimbabwe A beat a gallant national Under-19 side by 43 runs. The highlight was a fine century by Brendan Taylor for the losing side.

 

Batting on winning the toss, Zimbabwe A built their innings on a dynamic third-wicket partnership of 114 between Hamilton Masakadza and Richie Sims, after the openers failed to build on starts. Both played a few false shots and what should have been an easy run-out opportunity to dismiss Sims was badly missed.

 

Masakadza does not yet look the batsmen he was two years ago, but he is better at the longer version of the game. He played some good strokes but fell for 45, bowled by a ball from Elton Chigumbura that kept very low and gave him n chance. Sims went on to score 88 off 97 balls, with 8 fours and a six, before holing out on the midwicket boundary.

 

Alester Maregwede played some good strokes in his 36, while Gary Brent hit a powerful unbeaten 30 off 22 balls at the death, with two huge sixes. The Under-19 bowling was erratic at times, with 23 wides conceded, and Tinashe Panyangara was unlucky not to be given a second spell after conceding 15 runs off six overs and producing a fine delivery to dismiss Dion Ebrahim. Puzzlingly, the expensive Elton Chigumbura was preferred, and he conceded 75 runs in his full 10 overs.

 

Zimbabwe Under-19 began their innings under threat of approaching rain. It took an hour to arrive, but in that time they did well, scoring 81 without loss. The successful openers were Brendan Taylor, who had just come from an unsuccessful Faithwear series with the bat for Mashonaland, and the left-handed James Cameron, who got off the mark with a classic cover drive for four. This pair had also done well in the Wednesday match and should be a major force in the Under-19 World Cup.

 

Just over 30 minutes’ time was lost, but the full 50 overs were still possible if the light and weather held. There was a sodden patch just off the square, and professionals would certainly have objected to playing. There was no change in the pattern of play as the openers took their partnership to 152 before Ebrahim, bowling off-spin perhaps in desperation, had Cameron stumped for 44 in the 32nd over.

 

Despite such fine batting, though, the required run rate was not more than seven an over. The middle order had to attack before they had settled, and Demon Bowler Ebrahim took three more wickets, finishing with four for 38, three of them stumped. Taylor settled on reaching his century, which came off 134 balls, and then began to go for his shots, including a huge six on to the roof of the gymnasium at midwicket, before skying a catch to backward square leg off Andre Hoffman for 112. The match petered out but again the Under-19 players had acquitted themselves well.

 

(Article: Copyright © 2003 John Ward)