THE fifth day of the Zim Afro T10 at Harare Sports Club witnessed an exhilarating display of cricket, with three matches featuring big hits, dramatic collapses, and nail-biting finishes on Wednesday.
Harare Bolts, Cape Town Samp Army, and Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers emerged victorious, thanks to standout performances from Salman Irshad, George Linde, and Arinesto Vhezha respectively.
Match 1: Harare Bolts vs. NYS Lagos
Harare Bolts tightened their bolts to set the tone with a 44-run win over NYS Lagos. After being put in to bat, the Bolts started strong before Oshane Thomas’s double strike slowed them down. Jimmy Neesham and Dasun Shanaka took charge, scoring freely in the middle overs. Sean Williams’ late cameo helped the Bolts post 117/7 in 10 overs. Richard Gleeson, Arineshto Vezha, and Brandon Mavuta picked up two wickets each to derail Lagos’ chase.
Match 2: Cape Town Samp Army vs. Durban Wolves
Cape Town Samp Army rode on Brian Bennett’s blistering 47 to post 138/5 in 10 overs. Jack Taylor’s unbeaten 43 proved crucial. In response, Colin Munro battled valiantly with 55, but Salman Irshad’s four-wicket haul engineered a collapse. Roshan Mustafa and Tawanda Maposa chipped in with two wickets each as Samp Army won by 28 runs.
Match 3: Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers vs. Bulawayo Brave Jaguars
In the final match, Jo’Burg Bangla Tigers scripted a thrilling four-wicket win over Bulawayo Brave Jaguars. Jaguars struggled to get going, with Anamul Haque’s quickfire 24 being the only highlight. Tinashe Muchawaya’s fine bowling saw off David Warner. Jaguars managed 110/5 in 10 overs. Tigers responded strongly, thanks to Mohammad Shahzad and Kusal Perera. George Linde and Karim Janat guided the Tigers to victory with one delivery to spare.
The wins kept the race for the top four alive, with all teams still in contention. The performances of Salman Irshad, George Linde, and Arinesto Vezha will be remembered.
