UAE look to bounce back in second match against Zimbabwe

HARARE: Having claimed a comfortable seven-wicket victory in the first ODI against UAE, Zimbabwe will be eager to press home the advantage when they meet again in the second game in Harare on Friday.

Zimbabwe had a near-perfect game on wednesday, when they beat a relatively in experienced UAE with strong performances from their marquee players. Tendai Chatara first returned 3/25 to help bundle out the visitors for 110, before the bating unit chased down the target in 23.1 overs.

Regis Chakabva and Craig Ervine showed their experience, stitching together an 80-run secondwicket partnership to put the game beyond UAE. Ervine, in particular, looked in supreme touch during his 46-ball 51.

It ended in a seven-wicket win with plenty to spare, and will give Zimbabwe confidence going into the next game.

The bowlers, however, were the real heroes for the hosts. Kyle Jarvis, Donald Tiripano and Brandon Mavuta each picked up two wickets, while Sikandar Raza chipped in with the wicket of the dangerous Rohan Mustafa. Skipper Peter Moor will hope for an encore from his bowling atack on Friday. Tendai Chatara starred with the ball, returning 3/25 in his 10-over spell

UAE, on the other side, will have to raise their game significantly to pose a threat. Only one player crossed 15 on Wednesday, while just four registered double figures. The onus will be on UAE’S experienced campaigners, like Mohammad Naveed, Rohan Mustafa and Muhammad Usman to step up.

UAE’S bowlers didn’t have much to defend, but would want to be more incisive.

Zimbabwe’s batsmen almost had no pressure on them while chasing down a small target. UAE got the wicket of Solomon Mire in the eighth over, but were unable to build on it.

UAE might consider bringing in Amir Hayat, the right-arm pacer, who was their second-highest wicket-taker in the ODI series against Nepal.

Chatara has been in impressive form recently, claiming 15 scalps in his last nine ODI outings. He has 28 wickets at 26.85 at Harare Sports Club, and has won two Player of the Match awards at the venue.

Ash faq has been their second-highest run-get er since January 2018, with 327 runs in 13 innings and a highest score of 92. He was dismissed for 2 in the first game, and will be keen to turn things around on Friday. Ahmed was pivotal to UAE’S triumph at the ICC World Cricket League Division Two last year, where he scored an enterprising 114 in the final against Nepal