Players like Hazratullah Zazai, Sikandar Raza, James Neesham, and Rassie van der Dussen lit up the Saturday evening at the Harare Sports Club, where the Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers, Harare Bolts, and the NYS Lagos all registered victories in their opening games. Season 2 of the Zim Afro T10 saw an opening day full of excellent cricketing action across three games. Adam Milne (1/9) and Richard Gleeson (3/8) were the day’s standout bowlers.
Sharjeel Khan (29) and Mark Chapman (38) top scored for the Durban Wolves in the opening match, which took place in the afternoon sun. They finished with a competitive total of 106/5. If it weren’t for Adam Milne’s outstanding performance, which saw him end with figures of 1/9 in his two overs, the Wolves would have most likely scored more runs. After a rapid half-century stand between Zazai and Mohammad Shahzad (13*), Sri Lankan Kusal Perera and captain Sikandar Raza added the final touches with a barrage of boundaries.
In the second game, it was the Cape Town Samp Army’s turn to launch an offensive. Leonardo Julien, a West Indian, contributed a robust 34 from 16 deliveries to support the fast-hitting Englishman Dawid Malan’s quick 31 off 14 deliveries. But Richard Gleeson’s three-wicket contribution was crucial in keeping the Samp Army at 103/5 for the Harare Bolts. Gleeson completed his two overs with figures of 3/8.
It was then the Hazratullah Zazai (44) show in the second innings
Nevertheless, the Bolts’ batting innings didn’t start off as well as they would have liked because they lost a couple early wickets. The Bolts were 5 down for 45 at the halfway point, and it was up to James Neesham (30*) and George Munsey (33*) to get them out of a hole. With three deliveries remaining, the pair not only won by five wickets but also put together a fast-paced 60-run stand from 24 deliveries.
The Bulawayo Brave Jaguars batted first in the opening day’s championship game, and under the lights, players like Kobe Herft (31*), Carlos Brathwaite (34), and Wesley Madhavere (16*) made superb use of the long handle. Additionally, despite Binura Fernando’s (1/11) economical period, the Braves managed to score 101/4. The NYS Lagos responded with a sophisticated batting performance.
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Rassie van der Dussen and Avishka Fernando of South Africa placed their side in the box seat with a 79-run stand in just over 6 overs. In the eighth over, van der Dussen reached his fifty and his first half-century of Season 2, before departing for 51. The South African, though, had already done enough for his team, as Thisara Perera (4*) and Ryan Burl (11*) helped them win. With a victory margin of seven wickets, the NYS Lagos triumphed.
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