Zimbabwe chevrons have salvaged an imminent series loss after overcoming visiting Afghanistan by three runs in a thrilling encounter played at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.
Zimbabwe won the toss for the first time in the series and, after losing two run-chases, decided to bat first.
After their innings of 129, thanks to Tarisai Musakanda and Malcolm Waller, nobody including themselves, could have given the home side any serious hope of winning.
Zimbabwe made one change to their team, replacing Hamilton Masakadza with Sean Williams, who has now passed his fitness test.
The bowlers did find some swing at the start, if little off the seam, and PJ Moor and Solomon Mire, though obviously keen to get the score moving, found it difficult to do that and had to rely mainly on quick singles.
They had only nine on the board in the fourth over when Mire (4) drove at a ball from Fareed Ahmad and edged it to first slip.
Moor and Musakanda took the score to 26, most of it a struggle, before Moor (11) fatally miscued a pull to midwicket; 26 for two in the 10th over.
Craig Ervine drove at the very next ball, but only played it on to his stumps via the inside edge.
Williams made five before he slashed a short ball straight to gully, to make the score 34 for four in the 14th over.
The slide continued, as Burl cut a ball from Naib high over the slips, but straight into the hands of third man; 40 for five in the 16th over.
Musakanda, however, was still there and fighting hard, bringing up the fifty in the 18th over with two boundaries off Naib.
Malcolm Waller also began to take the attack to the bowlers, mostly with the sweep against the spinners, and suddenly the batting looked confident and capable.
They put on 81 together before Musakanda miscued a pull from Ahmad and was caught easily at midwicket for 60 off 70 balls, with six fours and a six; Zimbabwe were now 121 for six in the 30th over.
Graeme Cremer uncharacteristically threw his wicket away without scoring, charging down the pitch to Rashid Khan and missing the ball, to be easily stumped.
Tendai Chatara fell first ball, edging a ball into the slips, and the score had plunged to 122 for eight.
Richard Ngarava, who at least had the excuse of inexperience, drove a catch to long-on without scoring, and the last man Chris Mpofu scored a single before scooping a catch to fine leg, to give a total of 129 in less than 33 overs.
This left the admirable Waller stranded on 36 not out (45 balls), having been totally failed by the batting of the last four Zimbabwe batsmen, who all surrendered their wickets for just one run off only 12 balls.
The visitors’ response got to a calamitous start as Mohammad Shahzad lashed out at his second ball, from Chatara, and towards long-on, and Waller, running back at full speed, was just unable to reach the catch.
It was a foretaste of things to come, a complacency that was to cost the tourists the match.
Noor Ali Zadran shared the mood of carelessness, popping his first ball from Ngarava towards mid-on, for Cremer to run across and complete the catch; six for one.
Shahzad continued to bat rather recklessly, and when he had made 20 he holed out on the midwicket boundary off the bowling of Chatara; 27 for two after five overs.
Off the next ball Rahmat Shah sliced a ball to the boundary at backward point, but it was very nearly a chance to Waller, who again could not quite reach it in time – on neither occasion was he to blame.
Rahmat Shah batted with more discretion, but he was out for 10 when Chatara produced a fine delivery that flew off his glove to Mire at point; 39 for three in the ninth over.
The batsmen continued their rather risky aggression, though, and the fifty came up after 10 overs
Afghanistan kept up an aggressive approach without much in the way of recklessness, until Stanikzai slashed at a ball from Chatara outside his off stump and was caught at the wicket for 31; 74 for four.
Chatara bowled his 10 overs without a break, on either side of lunch, and finished with figures of three for 30 for his fine efforts.
The hundred came up in the 22nd over, as Naib hit a rare pitched-up ball from Ngarava for four through extra cover.
The batsmen seemed to be cruising easily towards victory, so it was a surprise when Naib (16) popped a low return catch to Williams; 107 for five.
Shenwari then pulled a ball from Mpofu that landed just out of reach of the two fielders on the leg boundary.
At 121 for five wickets, it seemed as if Afghanistan were virtually home and dry.
Shenwari then fished at a ball from Mpofu outside his off stump and was caught by the wicketkeeper for 29; 121 for six.
Najibullah Zadran had a big swing at his first ball and sent up a huge skyer, which was well held by Moor running round to point, and remarkably Afghanistan were 121 for seven.
Nabi, who had 11, stepped back to try an ill-advised drive to a straight ball from Williams and only succeeded in playing the ball on to his stumps; 124 for eight.
The score was 124 for nine, with six runs still needed to win, and Zimbabwe were on the verge of an incredible victory.
The last five Afghan wickets had fallen for just five runs leaving Zimbabwe to take the match an come back into the series.
The next match is on Friday at the same venue.
