LAHORE: An all-round performance from Zimbabwe Select’s Blessing Muzarabani helped the hosts beat Pakistan Shaheens by 80-runs in the second one-day of the six-match series in Harare on Friday and take a 2-0 lead.

Muzarabani scored an unbeaten 24-ball 50 that included seven fours and two sixes. The fighting knock towards the end of the Zimbabwe innings lifted them to 236 before they were bowled out in 38.5 overs.

Zimbabwe Select had a poor start to their innings once again and this time they were 57-5 before Ryan Burl smashed 47 off 60 and Clive Madande’s 43 off 44 brought them back into the match.

Pakistan Shaheens all-rounder Aamir Jamal picked up five wickets for 75 in 10 overs and pacer Shahnawaz Dahani took two wickets for 36 runs in eight overs.

Zimbabwe Select began the defence of their total with the wicket of Saim Ayub on the first ball as Tendai Chatara trapped him in front. Pakistan Shaheens kept losing wickets on regular intervals and at a stage were 71-5 before they were bundled out in 38th over.

Mubasir Khan scored 44 off 60 in the lower order to stitch 73 runs with captain Imran Butt, who top-scored with 45 off 81.

The other notable performance came from one-drop Mohammad Huraira as he made 33 off 36. He was dismissed by Muzarabani who also sent Kamran Ghulam, Hussain Talat and Shahnawaz back to the pavilion.

Sean Williams and Victor Nyauchi took two wickets each.

Scores in brief:

ZIMBABWE SELECT 236 in 38.5 overs (Blessing Muzarabani 50 not out, Ryan Burl 47, Clive Madane 43; Aamir Jamal 5-75, Shahnawaz Dahani 2-36); PAKISTAN SHAHEENS 156 in 37.3 overs (Imran Butt 45, Mubasir Khan 44, Mohammad Huraira 33; Blessing Muzarabani 4-23, Sean Williams 2-16, Victor Nyauchi 2-43).

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2023