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Regis Chakabva

FATULLAH. — Regis Chakabva’s maiden List A century helped Zimbabwe A to a 17-run win over Bangladesh A in the first one-day match in Fatullah yesterday. This is the visiting side’s first win on tour after going down 2-0 in the two-match unofficial Test series.  Chakabva’s 132 off 144 balls, with 13 boundaries and three sixes, was the backbone and enforcer of Zimbabwe A’s 253 for 6 in 50 overs.

During his stay, Chakabva added 83 for the opening wicket with Brian Chari, 42 with Timycen Maruma for the third wicket and 120 for the fifth wicket with the captain Vusi Sibanda, who struck 52 off 67 balls with four boundaries and a six.

The home side were dealt an early blow when Abul Hasan, making a comeback from a back injury that put him out for 18 months, had to go off after bowling just 2.5 overs due to a neck injury. Leg-spinner Jubair Hossain and Mominul Haque took two wickets each.

In reply, Bangladesh lost most of their top order by the 11th over, after which one of the openers, Soumya Sarkar added 63 for the fourth wicket with Naeem Islam. Sarkar made 56 off 80 balls while Islam top scored with an 85-ball 66 that had five boundaries. Islam added 56 for the fifth wicket with Mosaddek Hossain who fell short of a fifty by just one run.

He added 70 rapid runs for the seventh wicket with Elias Sunny but once the latter fell in the 48th over, Bangladesh A had a mini-collapse that stalled the momentum created by Sunny and Mosaddek and ultimately cost them.

For Zimbabwe A, legbreak bowler Tafadzwa Kamungozi took four wickets while Tawanda Mupariwa and Cuthbert Musoko also chipped in with three and two wickets respectively.
The teams will clash again tomorrow and Wednesday in the last two unofficial ODIs.

The International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup Trophy will be in Zimbabwe tomorrow and Wednesday as part of the trophy’s tour to all the countries that will compete in the next ICC Cricket World Cup.

The trophy is scheduled to arrive in Victoria Falls tomorrow afternoon from Johannesburg, South Africa. Zimbabwe Cricket managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa said the tour will also go a long way in marketing the country as a tourist destination.

“We have organised for the trophy to come through Victoria Falls so that we can help market the holiday resort and do our bit for the fiscus by helping to generate tourism receipts,” said Mukondiwa.

Zimbabwe are one of the countries scheduled to take part in the ICC Cricket World Cup to be hosted by Australia and New Zealand from February 14 to the March 15 next year.
In the absence of One-Day International captain Elton Chigumbura, who is in India playing for Caribbean Premier League champions Barbados Tridents in the 2014 Oppo Champions League Twenty20 tournament, Test captain Brendan Taylor, former captain Prosper Utseya and senior player Hamilton Masakadza will receive the trophy in Victoria Falls together with ZC chairman Wilson Manase and the resort town mayor Sifiso Mpofu.

The trophy will then be taken to the Falls where the three players will be photographed holding one icon with another in the background. The ICC will distribute this photograph worldwide.

The trophy will come to Harare at the end of the day tomorrow. It will be taken around the central business district at 9:00am on Wednesday and then be put on display at the home of Zimbabwe cricket, Harare Sports Club, from 10:00am until 4:00pm.

Zimbabwe is the 12th stopover for the trophy since its journey began on July 3, this year. It has so far been to Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, England, Wales, Scotland, Papua New Guinea, Ireland and Afghanistan, Pakistan and South Africa.

After Zimbabwe, the trophy will go to the United Arab Emirates then Jamaica and Barbados in the West Indies. After four months round the world, the trophy will arrive in Melbourne, Australia, November 6 – 100 days before the beginning of the global cricket showpiece.

Zimbabwe are in Pool B of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup with India, Ireland, Pakistan, South Africa, UAE and the West Indies. Their first game is against South Africa in Hamilton, New Zealand on February 15. — Cricinfo/Sports Reporter.