In the fourth One-Day International (ODI) against Afghanistan, Zimbabwe took the foot off the fuel pedal in the last 10 overs and lived to tell the tale, winning that match and levelling two-all the five-match series at the Sharjah Cricket Ground in the United Arab Emirate.
In the fifth match – the decider – on Wednesday, Zimbabwe again took their foot off the pedal, moving from 167 runs for three wickets to 248 runs all out. Where it was 56 runs in the last 10 overs of the fourth ODI, it was now less than 100 in the last 20 overs.
Afghanistan took the chance offered with both hands and won the match by two wickets to move to 10th on the International Cricket Council ODI rankings, while Zimbabwe dropped to 12th.
Gulbadin Naib was the man who saw Afghanistan home, making an unbeaten 82 runs off 68 balls, three of them fours and six sixes, earning himself the player of the match award and his side their second successive ODI series win over an ICC Full Member country – incidentally Zimbabwe in both cases and incidentally again after tying two-all.
And yet it had started off so well for the Full Member country. Zimbabwe won the toss and Elton Chigumbura chose to bat.
But it was soon 1-1, one wicket down for one run up after Chamunorwa Chibhabha – player of the match in the third ODI that was the start of the Zimbabwe fightback – was trapped in front by Amir Hamza. He had made a single.
Hamilton Masakadza back at number three after the failed experiment with Malcolm Waller, showed his experience in the top order, guiding the upcoming Peter Joseph Moor to a 101-run partnership before the opener was caught at mid-off by Noor Ali Zadran off seamer Mirwais Ashraf. He went for 42 – Zimbabwe’s second highest score.
Masakadza himself went on to a fourth ODI century before perishing 10 runs later after, slicing an attempt over cover to point. His was an almost run-a-ball effort with his 110 crafted off 111 balls, which included nine fours and four sixes.
That was as good as it got for Zimbabwe, with Richmond Mutumbami putting up 40 runs, Sikandar Raza Butt 29, Graeme Cremer 12 and captain Elton Chigumbura three on the way to 248 all out in 49.5 overs.
Hamza finished with three wickets for 41 runs in 9.5 overs for Afghanistan. Mohammad Nabi claimed two for 23 in 10 overs, Rashid Khan two for 59 runs also in 10 and Dawlat Zadran two wickets for 71 runs also in 10 overs.
Then came the Afghanistan chase and after Zimbabwe, led by Luke Jongwe who finished with three wickets for 50 runs in eight overs, had dealt with threats such as in-form batsman Mohammad Shahzad who was the first wicket to fall after Jongwe bowled him for 25, former captain Mohammad Nabi (26) and his successor Asghar Stanikzai (8), it looked like they were on their way to revenge the 3-2 defeat at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo last October.
Then in came 24-year old Gulbadin Naib, playing in his 16th ODI.
Zimbabwe now plays Afghanistan in two Twenty20 International matches, with the first one on Friday and the second on Sunday at the same venue, the Sharjah Cricket Ground
“We’re all excited for the T20s. We won the series in Zimbabwe, we want to repeat that here,” said man of the ODI series Mohammad Shahzad, ominously.
Afghanistan won by 2 wickets with 2 balls remaining.
Zimbabwe – 248 all out in 49.5 overs (Hamilton Masakadza 110, PJ Moor 42; Amir Hamza 3/41, Mohammad Nabi 2/23, Rashid Khan 2/59, Dawlat Zadran 2/71)
Afghanistan – 254 for 8 in 49.4 overs (Gulbadin Naib 82*, Rashid Khan 31; Luke Jongwe 3/50, Sikandar Raza Butt 2/37, Neville Madziva 2/61)
