adminBrandon Moyo, brandonmalvin9@gmail.com
UNACCEPTABLE!
Cricket fans can only take a certain form of humiliation but yesterday’s match was a typical game where fans literally ask themselves where a team is headed if they are struggling against associate nations.
Unacceptable is the only word that only explain the Chevrons performances that was shambolic in the ongoing Castle Lite T20I series against Namibia after yet, another dismal performance in the fourth match yesterday at the United Sports Ground in the Namibian capital of Windhoek.
The Chevrons had a chance of taking an unassailable 3-1 lead going into the final match of the five game series but it was not meant to be as they were humbled, once again by an associate Namibian side.
Zimbabwe suffered a humiliating seven wickets defeat at the hands of the Eagles to leave the series tied at 2-2 going into today’s decider.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Chevrons were restricted to 153/6 in their 20 overs and the hosts comfortably chased it down in 18,4 overs, finishing on 154/3 to level the series.
Chevrons skipper, Craig Ervine finally managed to get it right in the series as he top scored for Zimbabwe with an unbeaten 54 runs off 43 balls. At the top, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe fell for 32 runs off as many deliveries as the Zimbabwean batters had the going tough once more. The third leading run scorer was Innocent Kaia with 15 runs from eight balls.
The Namibian skipper, Gerhard Erasmus led from the front with the balls for the hosts, finishing with figures of 2/21 in his four over spell while Handre Klazinge took two scalps for 35 runs in four overs as well. Jan Frylinck took one scalp while the other one that fell was a run out.
Defending their low score, Zimbabwean bowlers had no answers for the Namibian openers as they notched up an 82 runs partnership for the first wicket.
Ryan Burl managed to get two quick wickets in two overs for the Chevrons but however, his effort was not good enough. He bowled Michael Van Lingen for 47 runs off 27 balls and Nikolaas Davin for 34 runs from 25 deliveries. Burl finished with figures of 2/22 in his four overs.
The only other Namibian wicket that fell was that of Frylinck who was bowled by Tendai Chatara for 29 runs after facing 26 balls. Chatara, in 2,4 overs conceded 29 runs.
Erasmus went on to see his team through with an unbeaten 31 runs from 28 balls, completing an all round performance which saw him deservingly named player of the match.
Along the way, Erasmus broke the record of most sixes for Namibia in T20Is with 38, surpassing JJ Smit’s 37.
With the series level at 2-2, there will be all to play for in the series finale which is scheduled to take place today at the same venue.
It will be a winner takes all match with the final likely to be nail-biting. The last time the two faced off in a T20 series, it was a bitter end for Zimbabwe who lost 3-2 as Namibia won their first ever series against a Test playing nation. – @brandon_malvin
Siphakeme .Mnindwa
mbulelo smpofu
