Durham complete three-day sweep

SEAMER Oliver Gibson walked away with Man-of-the-Match honours for his seven wickets for 57 runs as Durham County took the second three-day match against Zimbabwe A by 136 runs at Takashinga Cricket Club yesterday.

Tinashe Kusema

The seven wickets were stretched over two innings as the 23-year-old Englishman’s four-for helped bundle out the hosts for a paltry 133 runs inside the first 44 overs of yesterday’s third and final day of the match.

The hosts began the day on 10 for one and still needed another 260 runs for victory.

However, it was not to be as Zimbabwe’s batting frailties continued.

It is quickly beginning to sound like a broken record of how Zimbabwe A’s batting looks to always undo the work that will have been done by the team’s bowling unit.

Skipper Ainsley Ndlovu and Victor Nyauchi’s batting and bowling efforts kept the hosts in the match for the larger part of this particular match.

The two took seven of Zimbabwe A’s eight during the first innings to help restrict the visitors to 193 for eight declared.

After that, the two starred with the bat, after yet a batting meltdown by the top-order, as Ndlovu and Nyauchi chipped in with 35 and 21 runs respectively.

Their exploits, alongside a few other lower-order batters, saw Zimbabwe A labour to 116 runs all-out and trailing by 77 runs.

A pair of half-centuries by middle-order batters Ben McKinney (52) and Colin Ackerman (51) lifted Durham to 192 for eight declared.

This set up yesterday’s action in which Zimbabwe A began the day on 10 for the loss of a wicket and still needing 260 runs for victory with nine wickets to spare.

Any resistance or signs of hope were quickly dashed away as the hosts lost wickets at regular intervals.

Zimbabwe opener Nkosana Mpofu top-scored for the hosts with his 37 runs off 100 balls as he attempted to stay at the crease for as long as he could to salvage a draw at the very least.

The 33-year-old’s knock lasted 133 minutes and featured just five boundaries.

He found assistance in the form of Milton Shumba and Tadiwanashe Marumani who chipped in with 21 runs each, the former finishing the day unbeaten.

Cullum Parkinson bowled out Marumani in the 35th over as Zimbabwe A went from 109 for six to 133 all-out.

The hosts lost their last four wickets for a paltry 27 runs as the Ndlovu and Nyauchi lost their wickets for a duck.

Michael Chinouya and Takudzwa Chataira did not fare any better as they could on contribute two and four runs respectively.

Gibson finished the pick of the Durham bowlers with figures of four for 39, while Callum Parkinson chipped in with his own four scalps for 47 runs.

Bas de Leede had the sole wicket for 11 runs.