It was another eventful day of action at the Zim Afro T10 as the Bulawayo Braves got the better of Cape Town Samp Army after an explosive batting display in the day’s opener.
Batting first the Braves could pile up 125/3, courtesy of a high-firing Innocent Kaia who smashed a fiery 52 while Tion Webster’s meaty 23 allowed them to post a formidable total on the board.
The Samp Army got off to a phenomenal start as their opening pair of Tadiwanashe Marumani and Rahmanullah Gurbaz put up 65 runs for the opening stand from just 28 balls only to see the team’s engine room falter in the face of pressure. A sudden meltdown towards the end saw Cape Town falling short of the finish line by three runs.
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The second match of the day stayed witness to a swashbuckling display from Robin Uthappa who spearheaded the charge for the Hurricanes at the top of the order. It was a collective display of brilliance from the top-order where Uthappa’s 50 laced with Chakabva’s 43 pave the path for Harare’s rise to glory while Donovan Ferreira’s thumping finish allowed them to post a mammoth 134 on the board.
Despite a strong show from Andre Fletcher and Hazratullah Zazai who scored 50 from 25 and 49 from 28 respectively, the aggression fizzled away from the Qalandars towards the fag end of the innings, imparting a 24-run win to the Hurricanes.
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Samp Army’s glittering start to the tournament gave away to mediocrity as they lost their second game of the day as well and this time it was a pedestrian batting display that cost them dearly. A stunning bowling display Blessing Muzarabani claiming 3/7 restricted CTSA to 89/6.
The Joburg Buffaloes were relentless as they demolished the Samp Army mercilessly, riding high on the shoulder of their skipper, Mohammad Hafeez who powered to a world-class 40 while Ravi Bopara’s unbeaten 30 saw the Buffaloes home with nine wickets to spare.
