The Harare Hurricanes roared to their first triumph in the inaugural Zim Afro T10, securing a thrilling 5-wicket victory against the previously unbeaten Durban Qalandars at the Harare Sports Club. Regis Chakabva’s heroic unbeaten 44 powered the Hurricanes to their maiden win in the tournament.
Opting to bat first, the Durban Qalandars witnessed a strong performance from Tim Seifert, who played a sensational innings of 71* runs. Hazratullah Zazai’s early dismissal for 3 by Mohammad Nabi provided an initial boost for the Hurricanes. However, Seifert’s blazing knock, well supported by Asif Ali’s 18 and Nick Welch’s 22*, helped the Qalandars post a formidable total of 126/3 in their allotted 10 overs.
In response, the Harare Hurricanes faced an early hiccup, losing the wickets of Robin Uthappa (1) and Eoin Morgan (2) in the initial overs. Irfan Pathan, the Indian all-rounder, provided some fireworks with three consecutive sixes off Linde’s bowling but departed after a brisk 37 runs from 14 balls.
As the match approached a critical juncture, Donovan Ferreira added a crucial 16 runs before being dismissed. Throughout the tense chase, Regis Chakabva held his nerve and anchored the innings with an outstanding display of batting. His unbeaten 44 became the cornerstone of the Hurricanes’ pursuit of their first victory.
Despite losing a couple of wickets, Chakabva’s composed presence guided the Hurricanes to a sensational 5-wicket win with an over to spare. The home crowd cheered wildly as the Hurricanes celebrated their much-awaited success.
Brief Scores:
Durban Qalandars: 126/3 in 10 overs (Tim Seifert 71*, Nick Welch 22*; Mohammad Nabi 2/9, Samit Patel 1/17)
Harare Hurricanes: 127/5 in 9 overs (Regis Chakabva 44*, Irfan Pathan 37; Mohammad Amir 2/23, Tendai Chatara 1/17)
The Harare Hurricanes’ exhilarating triumph against the strong Durban Qalandars has set the stage for an electrifying remainder of the Zim Afro T10 tournament, with the Hurricanes announcing their arrival in grand fashion.
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