By Ian Omoro
Tailender Richard Ngarava got Zimbabwe across the finish line with one ball remaining in a frantic final Twenty20 International match on Thursday, giving them a consoling two-wicket victory over Pakistan. Pakistan rested a number of important players and reached 132-7 after 20 overs in Bulawayo as they looked to sweep the series after winning the first two games by 57 runs and 10 wickets, respectively. With opener Brian Bennett scoring 43, Zimbabwe reacted forcefully at first, but the Pakistani bowlers rallied, and the loss of home skipper Sikandar Raza (19) signaled disaster.
After Pakistan’s lackluster batting display, Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani seemed to have made this match routine as Zimbabwe exploded to 50 in five overs while chasing 133. Even when the hosts were sitting pretty at 73 for 1 with more than half the overs remaining, Pakistan knew they had a chance, thanks in part to a Sufiyan Muqeem-shaped trump card that tore through the middle overs once more. However, with a middle order as brittle as Zimbabwe’s, no game is really over. Muqeem applied pressure while Abbas Afridi cleaned up from the other end, turning 73 for 1 into 94 for 5 in a five-over period. With four remaining overs, the rate of runs was pushing 12.
The game appeared to be over for Zimbabwe when their talisman miscalculated tamely to long-on off Jahandad Khan. Pakistan felt that Sikandar Raza stood between them and victory. With 21-year-old Tinotenda Maposa, making his T20 debut, on strike and needing 12 off the final over, things seemed dire. However, Zimbabwe came within two runs of victory after a squirted boundary and a vicious hoick over square leg for six. When Tashinga Musekiwa attempted a glory shot and failed, there was still time for more drama, but this time, a Bulawayo crowd filled with heartfelt singing was not to be missed.
Zimbabwe emerged with a lot more vigor, still reeling from harsh criticism following a humiliating loss in the second Twenty20 International. Sahibzada Farhan was outwitted by Wellington Masakadza, who was accurate the entire time, after Blessing Muzarabani had Omair Yousuf hole out for a duck. Zimbabwe dominated the powerplay by a wide margin after Usman Khan’s hesitant little dab off Muzarabani claimed the third wicket.
Throughout the middle overs, Raza brought himself, Ryan Burl, and Brian Bennett on at different points after realizing that Pakistan was having trouble with spin. The middle overs had to be rebuilt because Pakistan was batting with a relatively long tail. Salman Agha formed beneficial alliances with Tayyab Tahir and Qasim Akram to keep the visitors moving, and then Arafat Minhas and Abbas Afridi made cameos that helped Pakistan beyond three figures. Muzarabani’s messy 13-run last over was all that allowed Pakistan to surpass 130 against a bowling assault that provided them with nearly nothing during the innings.
