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ScorecardTom Smith gave Lancashire a platform for victory•Getty Images

Paul Horton and Tom Smith’s 128-run stand allowed Lancashire to edge to a 12-run Twenty20 Blast victory over Worcestershire at Old Trafford.When Lancashire posted 194 for 3, Horton and Smith could have been forgiven for expecting a solid victory. The visitors had other ideas, maintaining a brisk pace throughout and falling just 13 runs short of an impressive turnaround result.Worcestershire reached 182 for 5 in their 20 overs – with little more than half a run an over between the two sides.Lancashire claimed their first win of the tournament after losing out by 33 runs to Nottinghamshire on Friday night.Horton’s unbeaten 71 from 43 balls steered Lancashire to an imposing total. Opener Smith fired 74 from 53 balls to set the tone, before Saeed Ajmal had him stumped by wicketkeeper Ben Cox.His was the third wicket to fall. Karl Brown went first for 28, with Charles Morris forcing him into an edge to Cox. Two balls later the sequence was repeated, with Steven Croft being drawn into nicking one to Cox.Lancashire could have found themselves in bother at 55 for 2, but Horton joined Smith and the duo forged a decisive partnership.Smith eventually fell to Ajmal with eight balls of the innings remaining and Lancashire 183 for 3, with Jos Buttler adding an unbeaten 10 before the finish.Moeen Ali blasted Worcestershire out of the blocks, with a quick-fire 11 from four balls. Steven Croft dismissed the opener though, with Brown holding the catch in the fifth ball of the innings.Worcestershire settled quickly though, with Tom Kohler-Cadmore hitting 25 from 13 deliveries before James Anderson had him caught by Stephen Parry. They maintained the pace despite losing relatively regular wickets, with Richard Oliver eager to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Oliver struck 34 from 23 balls before he was clean bowled by Arron Lilley, with Worcestershire 78 for 3.Colin Munro and Daryl Mitchell immediately struck up a fruitful partnership, until Jordan Clark had Mitchell caught by Parry. Mitchell made 19 from 14 balls, and departed with the visitors 121 for 4 from 12.3 overs.Clark claimed his second wicket by dispatching Munro for 39 from 33 deliveries, with Horton claiming the catch. Munro’s removal left Worcestershire 144 for 5 with less than four overs remaining.Alexei Kervezee and Ross Whiteley set about trying to blast their way to an unlikely victory – and came impressively close.

ScorecardRoss Whitely struck three sixes as Worcestershire got up with two balls to spare•Getty Images

It’s often a strategy, in rain-truncated games, to evaluate the conditions by bowling first. Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell had no hesitation in doing just that, following a two-hour delay, and his methods paid dividends as his side timed their tricky chase to perfection to move top of the North Group.It’s hardly surprising, on the back of another winter of submersion, that New Road’s pitches aren’t conducive to deliveries whistling past the batsman’s helmet or bowlers thrusting it down with great speed but it makes for compelling viewing nonetheless.With sixteen required to win off the final over, in a game reduced to 13 overs per side, Worcestershire were indebted to some clean striking – something that was rare hitherto – from Gareth Andrew and Ross Whiteley to ensure they made it four consecutive wins in the shortest format.While Worcestershire exhibited all their pluckiness to get across the line from an unlikely position, Durham had only themselves to blame. Having batted first on a stodgy surface that was under the covers for much of the day, Durham learnt what methods were efficacious. They duly took note, reducing the hosts to 58 for 4 in the ninth over but let it slip when victory was within their grasp.At the interval, Jack Shantry described Durham’s total of 105 for 3 as par. The visitors, however, went about proving it was above that on a wet outfield and two-paced track. Usman Arshad bowled with great variation, taking all the pace off, and along with John Hastings proceeded to strangle the Worcestershire chase. That was until Andrew, only playing because of the shortened game, armed with his long-levered bat demonstrated that batting wasn’t as arduous as others had may it out to be. Only Calum MacLeod played with any sort of fluency for Durham as their innings struggled to gain the momentum and impetus expected in such a short game.Chris Russell took two wickets in as many balls to highlight the deviant nature of conditions. Mark Stoneman could only pull straight to deep square leg before, next delivery, Phil Mustard could only glove one that unexpectedly lifted through to Ben Cox.If the shortest format requires thinking outside of the box, Worcestershire certainly meet that criteria. Their bowling attack is as unorthodox as it comes. Mitchell took all the pace off the ball – regularly clocking just 48mph – and although he went wicketless, Saeed Ajmal ensured there would be no Durham acceleration.MacLeod, who scored an unbeaten 43 which included three sixes, was the standout performer as he propelled his side, alongside Gordon Muchall, past the 100 mark with an unbeaten stand of 72 off just 42 balls. But it should have been a partnership of 74. Richard Oliver, patrolling the leg side boundary, managed to cling onto a towering MacLeod swat but landed on the boundary cushion before releasing the ball. A four was given and despite video evidence clearly showing it should have been a six, the decision couldn’t be changed.In truth, it didn’t matter. For much of their innings, Worcestershire plodded along, losing wickets at regular intervals as Durham’s bowlers utilised conditions brilliantly. When New Zealander Colin Munro fell lbw to Hastings, giving the bowler his third wicket, the contest seemed all but over. Andrew, though, had something of a point to prove after being left in the shadows in recent weeks. He lofted a full toss from Chris Rushworth down the ground, then swatted a boundary to the leg-side before falling trying to repeat the trick next ball. Whiteley proceeded to finish off the job.

Batsman KB Pawan has made himself available for Karnataka again this season after being ignored by Tripura for an upcoming all-India invitational tournament in Bangalore. Pawan had moved to Tripura before the 2013-14 season after Karnataka preferred other openers ahead of him.”I requested Brijesh Patel sir (the Karnataka State Cricket Association secretary) and he said it would be okay for me to play here,” Pawan told . “Everything is still very unclear. I sent a letter to the Tripura Cricket Association and they said they need time to get back to me. I was hurt when I found out that I was left out (for the invitational tournament) but I understand they needed to make space for their local players.”Pawan has played 43 first-class matches for Karnataka, scoring 2622 runs at an average of 38, but in 2012-13, he got only four games for them. He admitted it would be difficult for him to regain his place in a side that won the Ranji Trophy, the Irani Cup and the Vijay Hazare Trophy previous season.”I am not thinking that far into the future,” Pawan said. “My job is to perform. Of course, the Ranji Trophy is the main goal. It is every domestic cricketer’s goal, but I know it will be very hard for me to find a spot in the team that won the title last year. The team is settled, so it isn’t the right time to think they will (include me in the squad).”Pawan, who made 374 runs for Tripura in eight games at 24.93, said it was a “very tough” experience playing for the north-eastern state. “Playing as a professional is not an easy thing to do. Pitches in the east are not as easy to play on as pitches in the south. Down here, after an hour or so the wicket eases off. There, the ball would be swinging around throughout the day.”Staying there alone for two-and-a-half months was one of the toughest things I have had to do in my life. I struggled there. I was out of my comfort zone. I do regret that decision from time to time but it was also one of the greatest experiences in my life. I have learnt how to manage things really well on my own.”

ScorecardJason Roy smashed 63 off 25 balls to continued his impressive form•Getty Images

Amid the conveyor belt of marquee overseas names it would be easy to hold a blinkered view of Surrey. Their riches dwarf what others can even fantasise of which can fuel envy and even bitterness. Yet, when the ECB’s top table drew up the plans for this recast NatWest T20 Blast, it was evenings like this they had at the forefront of the agenda.If this had been a bout – and it would have been a heavyweight one at that – the referee would have intervened well before Jason Roy clubbed 63 off 25 balls which supported the argument there is a lot more to Surrey than their big-buck dealings.It was an innings of disdain brimming with flamboyance as he bludgeoned twelve boundaries to dispel the belief that this was another sub-standard pitch. There was no masking Hampshire’s pitiful performance but as bad as the visitors were, Surrey were masterly.”It was a fantastic wicket,” Roy said. “To keep them to 130 was a brilliant effort from our bowlers and the spinners won us the game.”It is, admittedly, what hefty investment can bring but you manufacture your own success. While many grounds around the circuit are finding it a tougher task to sell the idea of the shortest-format, Surrey are revelling in it. A near capacity Oval crowd, on a glorious evening in South London, testified to that. Build it and they will come and Surrey, in recruiting a certain calibre of player, are certainly doing that.And while T20 is as much about introducing the sport to a new audience, prosperity on the pitch does not half help. An eight-wicket battering of a team of Hampshire’s T20 pedigree underlines Surrey’s capacity in this competition and should ensure many of the revellers will return for another evening’s entertainment.Roy did not shy away as he made the pre-game pyrotechnics seem flimsy with some fireworks of his own. After a couple of disjointed seasons with the bat, he is beginning to mature as a player and is enjoying the dividends. An unbeaten 81 against Sussex a fortnight ago hinted at a player finally beginning to fulfil his potential this innings was equally destructive and included 24 off Will Smith’s one over.Such was his belligerence, those in the stands barely noticed the presence of Tillakaratne Dilshan and then Kevin Pietersen at the other end. On debut, the former contributed 15 to an opening stand of 78 but that was hardly a reflection of his endeavours. His contribution with the ball upfront, however, set the tone for what was to follow.For all the weapons in their armoury, the visitors were horribly outplayed. They lost their three big guns – Michael Carberry, James Vince and Jimmy Adams – during the Powerplay and never recovered. As much as their downfall was created by Surrey’s incessant brilliance in the field and nagging line and length offered by the battery of spinners, Hampshire’s inability to respond to a situation that needed a steady rebuilding operation was striking.As Surrey’s big names stood-up, Glenn Maxwell became part of his sides’ disintegration. Surrey stifled him with spin from both ends and he fell for the bait when Gareth Batty tossed a couple above his eye-line and eventually he holed out to long-on.”It was just one of those nights unfortunately. We never got out of the blocks and when you lose wickets consistently, you don’t give yourselves any chance against a side like Surrey,” Giles White, Hampshire director of cricket, said.Indeed, the procession once Sean Ervine’s departure made it 49 for 5 was inevitable. Mindless running led to Matt Coles’ dismissal and Smith, who along with Chris Wood offered some resistance, was stumped off a wide; it typified Hampshire’s evening.That they got to a semblance of respectability was down to a career-best 27 from Wood and a couple of blows from Kyle Abbott. It was far little too late, however, as the damage had already been done and Roy ensured there was no way of repairing it.

Mohammad Amir has ruled out the possibility of playing in the 2015 World Cup. Amir, who is serving a five-year ban for spot-fixing, said he didn’t have a “realistic” chance of playing in the event, which begins on February 14, despite the efforts of the PCB to persuade the ICC to relax the ban on the left-arm fast bowler.Under the current terms of his ban, Amir will be available for national selection from September 2015. The PCB requested the ICC, during its annual conference last year, to make a few concessions to his ban, including allowing Amir to use the board’s training facilities. The ICC set up a five-member committee to “review and recommend amendments to the ICC Anti-Corruption Code”, and the re-drafted code will be discussed at the ICC’s next annual conference in October.”I don’t see myself playing in the World Cup,” Amir said, on a television talk show. “It is not realistic, because all these things have to go through a process. I am just grateful to the cricket board for taking up my case. I will be ready whenever I am given the chance to resume training or playing.”Amir said the early success he tasted lured him “down the wrong path”, and urged the PCB to take measures to educate young players against corruption.”What I did was wrong and I got lost in all the fame and wealth,” Amir said. “I went down the wrong path. There are people who try to lure cricketers down the wrong path and into corruption and they need to be stopped.”I would suggest to the PCB to appoint a committee of senior players who can be tasked with keeping a watch on young players in domestic cricket and also in the national team and who can groom and educate these players on how to avoid the pitfalls of world cricket.”He added, though, that the ultimate responsibility rests with the player himself.”Seniors can play a big role in educating the new players,” he said. “But at the end, it is also a fact that, as an individual, one has to be honest with oneself. If you are honest then no one can touch you.”

Zimbabwe coach Stephen Mangongo has denied excessive heavy handedness in the suspension of Tinashe Panyangara from the national squad. Panyangara will not feature in the remainder of the triangular series against Australia and South Africa after what ZC’s press release described as “indiscipline” and what Mangongo explained as being “unacceptable by any stretch of the imagination.”Panyangara’s crime was sharing a video with his team-mates via WhatsApp of Mitchell Johnson battering England with a barrage of short balls .”In any sport, to post a video of the opposition annihilating another team will not be tolerated. I was perplexed that a senior bowler behaved in such a childish manner,” Mangongo told ESPNcricinfo. “On the eve of such a serious match, you don’t do that.”Zimbabwe’s batsmen have been concerned with the reputation of opposition bowlers from the start of their incoming tours this winter. Some were concerned about whether Dale Steyn would play for South Africa during the one-off Test. They had heard that the speedster may be rested and were hopeful they would not have face him. Steyn played and claimed a five-for but Zimbabwe’s batsmen acquitted themselves fairly well against him.However, during the opening game of the tri-series on Monday, Zimbabwe’s batsmen were hesitant to put bat to ball if it came out of Johnson’s hand. Johnson conceded seven runs in six overs along with striking Elton Chigumbura on the helmet in the dying stages of the matches. Mangongo was concerned Panyangara’s sharing of the video contributed to Zimbabwe’s apprehension.Mangongo said he was “not making an example of Panyangara, just taking action where it needed to be taken” and that Panyangara had “not been banned. After the tri-series, he will be back and that’s it.” Zimbabwe’s next assignment is against Bangladesh in October and Panyangara is currently training with the A side in preparation for that.Before that, Zimbabwe have at least three more matches in the ongoing series but will have to do without Panyangara, their most experienced frontline bowler. But Mangongo did not see Panyangara’s unavailability as a decisive factor.”We have eight other bowlers so I am not worried about who comes in or who goes out; we have heavy competition in the bowling department,” he said. “There are not vast differences between the bowlers we have. We are not going to be missing Dale Steyn. Tinashe conceded more runs in Harare than he did in Bulawayo.”While some of the bowlers Mangongo referred to are already in the XI, the other options to replace Panyangara are uncapped Cuthburt Musoko, teenager Luke Jongwe, Neville Madziva, who made his debut last week or Shingi Masakadza and Brian Vitori, who are both struggling for form. Even that reality does not bother Mangongo. “We are a work in progress and we are playing against the big operators in world cricket. We are determined to improve so that is what we are working on,” he said. “And we are working very hard.”Zimbabwe had a rest day on Tuesday but four members of the squad reported to practice, which Mangongo took as a sign of their commitment. “Brendan Taylor was at the head of that group so that was pleasing to see,” Mangongo said. “Everybody is working hard and trying to improve. We cannot fold our arms and do nothing; if we do that, we are not doing our jobs.”Mangongo’s sunshine outlook is overshadowed by the mood in the team camp. Insiders have revealed morale is floundering and the unhappiness with Mangongo’s strict methods growing. “He is abusing his power beyond comprehension,” an insider said. “There is every chance the players will protest at some stage but for now, they are just waiting to see whether anything will change.”Apart from Panyangara’s suspension, Mangongo has also enforced strict disciplinary measures including a curfew and shown no mercy to underperforming players, even stalwarts. Taylor was dropped for the final match against South Africa after scoring just 20 runs in the previous two games while Vusi Sibanda has been put on the sidelines twice in the last month. “Nobody is safe” is Mangongo’s mantra and this time, it was Panyangara’s turn to learn that.

Cape Cobras allrounder Sybrand Engelbrecht admitted he had a hard time staying calm while bowling a Super Over against Barbados Tridents even as he aimed at getting the pace and length right. Engelbrecht, a late addition to the Cobras squad, played a key role in the side’s Super Over win against Tridents that kept them alive in the Champions League.Chasing 175, Cobras needed 32 off the last three overs and Englebrecht’s 10-ball 19 helped the side tie the game. After Cobras made 11 for 0 batting first in the Super Over, Engelbrecht was entrusted with defending the target and his slow offbreaks ensured a win for the side.”As much as I tried to be nice and calm in the middle, it was just not possible to be that way during the Super Over,” Engelbrecht told . “Maybe the Lasith Malingas of the world can be calm under those situations but I was definitely not calm since it was my first Super Over.”I am not sure what the thought process was behind handing me the ball for the Super Over. I was just told that I will be bowling the Super Over and from there on I tried to make my plans. All the senior players were supportive and gave me a lot of advice when I was out to bowl the Super Over. They helped me out to be nice and calm which was great. When I walked out to bowl, I realised that it was very crucial to get the pace and the length right to defend that total in an over.”Engelbrecht was brought into the squad as a replacement for JP Duminy, who did not travel with the team for the Champions League due to a knee injury. Engelbrecht joined the squad after their first game against Northern Districts in Raipur. The allrounder was the side’s most successful bowler in their loss to Hobart Hurricanes, taking 3 for 20, and he added to his tally with two wickets against Tridents. Engelbrecht said he had been working on his skills of bowling under pressure during training.”I think it is important to try and put yourself under pressure when you train. That is something that I have definitely tried to learn over the last couple of months,” he said. “The idea is not to just bowl, but bowl with a plan and bowl under pressure. I think that aspect of bowling has been really good to me so far and hopefully it continues in the games to follow.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAhmed Shehzad was hit wicket after being felled by a bouncer from Corey Anderson•Getty Images

The Pakistan batsmen continued their plunder in the UAE, their relentless accumulation spanning 171 overs snuffing out New Zealand’s hopes of victory and ensuring the visitors would face a severe trial by spin to save the first Test in Abu Dhabi. Their performance was the first time in Test cricket that all of the top-five batsmen made more than 80 in an innings; three of them went on to score hundreds that flattened a flagging New Zealand attack.The home side’s achievements were numerous. Ahmed Shehzad improved his best Test score, and his 169-run stand with Azhar Ali made it the first time Pakistan had had two 150-plus partnerships for the first two wickets. Azhar went past 50 for the fourth time in five innings, Younis Khan made his fourth hundred in five innings, and Misbah-ul-Haq completed a hat-trick of centuries. Pakistan ended on 566 for 3 – the first time they had declared in four successive Test innings – and gave the weary New Zealand openers seven overs to survive.Brendon McCullum, who was opening for New Zealand once again instead of Hamish Rutherford, and Tom Latham were able to negotiate a varied attack from Pakistan’s four specialist bowlers, but that did not take anything away from it being the home side’s day.Pakistan had reason to celebrate in the first half-hour of the second day, as Shehzad pushed Trent Boult through cover to bring up the century stand with Azhar, who then clipped Tim Southee through midwicket to pass fifty. With no assistance for the seamers, McCullum turned to offspinner Mark Craig in the sixth over of the day, and it wasn’t long before Shehzad advanced and lofted him over the long-on boundary.McCullum deployed unusual fields to try and conjure a wicket. During his second spell, Southee bowled with a slip, a short backward-point a silly mid-off and a short cover, and sometimes a silly mid-on too. He got the ball to reverse a bit, but Shehzad found the gap at cover with his drive to pass 150. While Shehzad had his aggressive moments, Azhar’s accumulation was serene. He swept, flicked and drove, scoring consistently against pace and spin.New Zealand nearly completed their third wicketless session out of four, but in the final over before lunch Corey Anderson bowled a bouncer despite the wicketkeeper BJ Watling standing up to the stumps. Shehzad ducked under it. Two deliveries later, Anderson once again bounced Shehzad, who tried to hook and missed. The ball crashed into the right side of his helmet and caused Shehzad so much pain that he dropped his bat on the stumps as he wheeled away and collapsed to the ground. It was a while before he was able to get up and walk off to concerted applause from the sparse crowd, having made a career-best 176. Shehzad was taken to hospital where a CT scan revealed a minor fracture to his skull.New Zealand had to wait 53 overs for their first wicket, another 63 for their second, but the third did not take as long. Azhar was on 87 when Ish Sodhi drifted a legbreak on to leg stump, beat the batsman in the length, and spun it sharply past the forward defence to hit off stump. It was an inspirational delivery, but it could not galvanise New Zealand, and their standards slumped further.Younis glanced the seamers when they drifted on to his pads, swept Sodhi when given time to get down low and free his arms and pulled dismissively off the back foot when he dropped short. Seven of Younis’ first eight boundaries were between fine leg and deep midwicket.Misbah went after Sodhi too, slogging him over the midwicket boundary, but the bowler was unlucky not to dismiss the Pakistan captain. After being swept for four, Sodhi induced a mis-hit from Misbah, but watched Craig mis-judge the catch at point. In his next over, Sodhi drew another miscue from Misbah, but Jimmy Neesham put down an absolute sitter at cover. Misbah responded by pulling the legspinner through midwicket and mid-on for boundaries, and even played a reverse sweep.Pakistan scored 124 runs in the second session, and after tea Misbah and Younis motored unperturbed towards a declaration total. They were neck and neck in the race to a hundred – both were on 99 at one point. Younis got his off 141 balls, Misbah off 162, and they trooped off the ground with seven tired New Zealanders in tow.

Brendon McCullum, the New Zealand captain, acknowledged that Pakistan played “the perfect Test” in Abu Dhabi, but said his team will “cop it on the chin” and is adamant they can fight back in the series and follow the host’s blueprint for success – with a little luck at the flip of the coin.Pakistan wrapped up an overwhelming 248-run victory early on the fifth day having dominated the match from the outset, losing just one wicket on the first day, having their top five all pass 80 – a first in Test cricket – before setting the spinners loose on New Zealand.McCullum, though, was keeping his emotions on a level with his team’s recent history in Test cricket convincing him that turning the series around in the remaining two matches in Dubai and Sharjah is not beyond them, despite Pakistan’s stellar run of form in the five-day game over the last month.”Kudos to Pakistan for how dominant they were from the get-go, they played the perfect Test and from our point of view we were found wanting in certain areas,” McCullum said. “The toss was a big one for us. When you come over here and are playing a team who are so familiar with the conditions and are red-hot at the moment, it is very hard to start from behind the game.”Hopefully I can win the toss in the next game, we can get some runs on the board and then we’ll see how our bowlers operate with some scoreboard pressure.”Since McCullum took over the New Zealand captaincy, which was immediately followed by the embarrassment of being bowled out inside a session by South Africa in Cape Town, there has been a considerable improvement in their Test form. They have won their last three series – two against West Indies and one against India – with their only reversal being on last year’s tour of England.It is that solidity of performance that helped encourage McCullum not to feel too low after this heavy defeat, although he will be well aware that the challenge confronting his team over the next two weeks in the UAE is a vast one given the confidence surging through all aspects of the Pakistan team.”We’ve been in this situation before and bounced back,” he said. “We lost heavily in Trinidad and came back to win the series against West Indies with a fine performance in Barbados. You never like losing but sometimes you have to admit you were second best, cop it on the chin and try to get better. I think we’ll be much improved in the next Test.”One of the performances that gave him solace was that of Tom Latham who made his first Test century on the third day, with McCullum saying it is a template for the other New Zealand batsman to follow. Echoing some of Michael Clarke’s comments from Australia’s recent series, he pinpointed the challenge facing batsmen in negotiating the early stages of the innings against Pakistan’s varied attack, especially the spinners.”I think there’s some cause for hope there, Tom Latham’s innings was one of real class and showed the temperament we know he’s got and that he can play in these conditions. It was a good lesson for the rest of our top order”We know how good a player he is, so early in his career, he has a great head on his shoulders. To see him get the rewards was significant for us. I also thought Ish Sodhi also got better as the game went on and Corey Anderson was pretty solid.”In this part of the world starting against spin is the hardest thing. You have to get past that initial stage and come up with a quick assessment with catchers around the bat. Losing wickets in clumps rips out any chance of making a big score. We have the players to do it.”McCullum was also aware that New Zealand cannot afford to spurn hard-earned chances which come their way in energy-sapping conditions. “I thought our bowlers did quite nicely without much luck,” he said. “We created five or six chances in the first innings and over here you can’t be needing to get 26-27 wickets so we have to make sure we take those chances when they are presented.”

ScorecardThe Zimbabweans’ woes continued on their tour to Bangladesh, as they were convincingly beaten by the BCB XI in a warm-up game before five-match ODI series that begins on Friday.The Zimbabweans chose to bowl in the 13-per-side game, and their bowlers enjoyed some early success, reducing the hosts to 51 for 3 in the 15th over. However a half-century stand was put on by Shamsur Rahman and Sabbir Rahman for the fourth wicket to make sure the team didn’t slump. They fell in quick succession, Shamsur for 49, before a 94-run sixth-wicket partnership at 6.55 between Shuvagata Hom and Nasir Hossain set them on their way to a very competitive 282. While part-time seamer Vusi Sibanda got the most wickets – four – he was expensive like many of his team-mates; only new-ball bowler Neville Madziva and legspinner Tafadzwa Kamungozi went at under a run a ball.The Zimbabweans had a promising start in the chase with 40 for the first wicket by Brendan Taylor and Regis Chakabva, and 77 for the third between Sikandar Raza and Timycen Maruma, but a slide followed and the team never recovered. They lost six wickets for 36 runs, going from 132 for 2 to 168 for 8. The BCB XI bowlers shared the wickets around, with, somewhat surprisingly, the seamers being more among the wickets than the spinners. The Zimbabweans were eventually bowled out for 194 in the 46th over.