Durham – 193-8 declared and 192-8 declared in 35.1 overs (Ben McKinney 52, Colin Ackermann 51, Jonathan Bushnell 31*; Mike Chinouya 3/65, Takudzwa Chataira 2/33, Ainsley Ndlovu 2/45)
Zimbabwe A – 116 and 10-1 in 9 overs (Nkosana Mpofu 5*, Ali Hamid 5*; Oliver Gibson 1/8)
Day 2 – Stumps: Zimbabwe A need 260 runs
It is a sharp learning curve for Zimbabwe A in their second three-day match against Durham as the touring English county team bowled them out for 116 runs in their first innings at Takashinga Cricket Club on Wednesday.
This came in response to the tourists’ overnight score of 193 for eight wickets declared and could have been far worse, as the first five wickets went down for only 15 runs.
Durham opening bowlers Paul Coughlin and Oliver Gibson shattered the Zimbabwe A top order by taking those five wickets in barely half an hour.
Coughlin removed Nkosana Mpofu and Tanu Makoni for a duck and two respectively, while Gibson had Ali Hamid caught at the wicket for three to make the score five for three wickets.
The heroes of the first match between the sides, Brian Bennett and Johnathan Campbell, were out to Gibson for three and five respectively to make it 15 for five wickets.
Milton Shumba and Tadiwanashe Marumani scored 11 and 10 respectively to take the score to 41 for seven.
Then at last came the only good partnership of the innings, with Ainsley Ndlovu playing a captain’s innings of 35 and Victor Nyauchi 21, as they added 52 for the eighth wicket.
Nine men were out for 96, but Mike Chinouya made a few good hits in his 15 not out to take the eventual score to 116.
Coughlin took three wickets for 30 and Gibson three for 18 – Durham led by 77 runs.
The county side took a carefree approach to their second innings, starting with 26 off 29 balls by Michael Jones.
Ben McKinney and Colin Ackermann both hit up fifties at about a run a ball, while Jonathan Bushnell made 31 not out before Durham again declared before the close.
Their total this time was 192 for eight wickets, which left Zimbabwe A to score 270 runs, much the highest total of the match, to win.
Chinouya was the most successful bowler with three wickets for 65, but he took some punishment from his 9.1 overs.
Before the close Zimbabwe A lost Makoni, bowled by Gibson without getting off the mark, but Mpofu and Hamid hung on by means of grim defence until the close when the score was 10 for one wicket after nine overs – both batters will resume on the third and final day with five runs as Zimbabwe A face a serious challenge.
