THREE Takashinga Cricket Club players, Blessing Muzarabani, Innocent Kaia and Tafadzwa Tsiga, made valuable contributions during the first two days of the second Test between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in Sharjah.
At stumps on Day 2, Afghanistan were 159 for six in reply to Zimbabwe’s first innings total of 339, trailing by 180 runs.
Muzarabani led Zimbabwe’s bowling attack with three wickets for 31 runs from 13 overs, including two maidens. He made an early breakthrough in the fifth over when club-mate Tsiga caught Sediqullah Atal behind for one.
The fast bowler later trapped Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah lbw for 30, with the score on 136, before bowling wicketkeeper Ikram Alikhil for six.
Muzarabani also contributed with the bat, scoring nine off 13 balls, including two fours, in a valuable 27-run last-wicket partnership with Brad Evans. Their stand lifted Zimbabwe from 312 for nine to 339.
His performance followed an impressive effort in the drawn first Test, where he bowled 35 overs, including nine maidens, at an economy rate of 2.65 runs per over on a pitch that offered little assistance to the seamers.
Zimbabwe captain Brian Bennett praised Muzarabani and Newman Nyamhuri for their persistence during that match.
“Very impressed. I think not only Nyamhuri, but Blessing as well, on a wicket that did not offer too much for the seamers, kept running in day in and day out across Days 2, 3, and 4,” Bennett said.
Kaia was equally influential with the bat, narrowly missing out on a century after giving Zimbabwe a strong start on the opening day.
The opener scored 96 off 167 balls, striking 11 fours and a six. He reached his second Test half-century off 69 deliveries and shared an opening partnership of 98 with Ben Curran.
Kaia then combined with Brendan Taylor for a second-wicket stand of 102 before his innings ended at 200 when he was trapped lbw by Naseer Khan Maroofkhil, just four runs short of his second Test century. His highest Test score remains 140.
Tsiga also played his part with both bat and gloves. The wicketkeeper scored 20 off 58 balls, including two fours, before being caught behind off Ziaur Rahman.
Behind the stumps, he claimed the important early dismissal of Atal off Muzarabani, underlining the value of the partnership between the two Takashinga teammates.
Tsiga has enjoyed a productive tour so far. In the first Test, he scored 44 in Zimbabwe’s first innings and recorded six dismissals in Afghanistan’s innings, comprising five catches and a stumping.
Takashinga Cricket Club congratulates Blessing, Innocent and Tafadzwa on their contributions and wishes them and the Chevrons well for the remainder of the match.
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