AN unbeaten 85 by Chamu Chibhabha helped Zimbabwe A beat South Africa A by 22 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in the third unofficial One Day International to leave the series delicately poised at 2-1 in favour of the tourists with one game to play.
Chasing 227 for victory on a surface that had something for the bowlers required cool heads, and Chibhabha, who batted at three, provided that when his team desperately needed it.
Brian Chari, who was playing his first game of the series, hit a beautiful four off the first ball of Zimbabwe’s reply. He perished a couple of balls later when he went for a booming drive to a full Lutho Sipamla delivery but could only manage a thin edge to the wicketkeeper.
The short ball did the trick for South Africa A as Tadiwanashe Marumani tried to pull Daryn Dupavillon. Still, the ball got big on him, only managing a top edge into the hands of Zubayr Hamza at mid-off.
Myers did not last long. He departed for four trying to flick Junior Dala to the leg side but only managed a top edge to the wicketkeeper Rickelton.
Roy Kaia did not trouble the scorers as he was adjudged lbw to Sipamla.
Chibhabha was well-composed, facing different bowlers on a different surface as he continued to put bad balls away, keeping the scorecard ticking, mindful of the precarious position they were in.
Milton Shumba was very watchful at first, knowing that a big partnership between him and Chibhabha would bring Zimbabwe right back into the match.
Chibhabha slowed down a bit in the 40’s and by then, you could sense he wanted to be there until the end.
The SA A bowlers tried everything from the short ball, but Zimbabwe white ball interim cricket captain had an answer for everything they threw.
He got to 50 with a single off Dala and he did not celebrate knowing that the job was not done yet.
He shared an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 124 with Shumba, who was on exactly 50 when the heavens opened up, and the players went off the field.
At that point Zimbabwe A needed 57 runs for victory from 13 overs, and the players never returned to the field with the hosts way ahead on DLS method.
Zimbabwe A’s victory was built on a solid bowling display as they took wickets at regular intervals.
The bowlers took advantage of the overcast conditions, with the ball doing just enough in the first hour on a wicket that had enough for the bowlers.
The bowlers had struggled in this series to take wickets upfront in the two previous games but found the length required on this surface.
Victor Nyauchi, who came in for Tanaka Chivanga, gave Zimbabwe their first breakthrough in the sixth over clean bowling Reeza Hendricks for 18 runs from 19 balls.
Rickelton did not last long after he followed his opening partner back to the pavilion the next over as was brilliantly caught by Chari off the captain Tendai Chatara.
Zimbabwe A were suddenly vocal in the field with those two quick wickets and had their tails up with those two quick wickets. South Africa A captain Hamza set off for a single that was not there and was caught short of his ground by a direct hit from Luke Jongwe, and South Africa A were in trouble at 38 for three after eight overs.
The visitors tried to repair the damage with a 27-run fourth-wicket partnership, but Myers made sure Zimbabwe A remained on top.
South Africa A were in trouble after 16 overs; they had lost six wickets for 74 and risked being bowled out for less than 100.
Zimbabwe A did not help their cause by dropping sitters, chief culprits being Tapiwa Mufudza, Ainsely Ndlovu and Marumani. The fact that Zimbabwe, in the end, failed to bowl out South Africa A was down to their lethargic fielding.
Zim A will have to replicate what they did today and improve their catching if they are to draw level the four-match series.
