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| T Taibu |
(TOI)
NAGPUR: Brian Lara is Zimbabwe's batting consultant and Grant Flower is batting coach. If these two stalwarts of the game are attached to any team, that side is bound to show improvement.
The appointment of the duo by Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) last November was to strengthen their fragile batting line-up and guide them to tighten their techniques for the tough international cricket.
The long-term benefits will take some time but on Monday at the VCA Jamtha Stadium against Canada, Zimbabwe achieved their short-term goal which showed that the signs are quite promising for the future. Any side losing both their openers with just seven on the board and went on to amass 298/9 that was the foundation for their 175-run victory, must be complimented for their effort irrespective of the quality of their opponents.
Opting to bat first, Zimbabwe received double blow when their most prolific batsman Brendan Taylor and Charles Coventry returned to the pavilion cheaply. Khurram Chohan traps Taylor on the very first ball of the innings to make a sensational start to the match dubbed as the 'battle of the minnows'.
The fellow paceman Harvir Baidwan then make the matter worse for the African side by getting rid of Coventry (4). That phase was Canada's best as they struggled as the match progressed.
Tatenda Taibu and Craig Ervine used all their experience to good effect as they first steadied the rocking ship and then consolidated the innings with splendid exhibition of batting.
Mixing caution with aggression, both Taibu and Ervine maintained the steady flow of runs by finding the gaps regularly. Ervine was the more aggressive of the two as the 25-year-old smashed six fours and two towering sixes on his way to hit 85 off 81 balls. Ervine's dismissal at the score of 188 triggered a mini collapse but he along with Taibu had done enough damage from which Canada could not recovered.
Living to his reputation as the most experienced batsman in the team, Taibu milked the Canada bowling at will. Although Taibu missed his century by a whisker, he made sure that Zimbabwe posted a strong total.
The wicketkeeper-batsman struck run-a-ball 98 before he became the victim of Balaji Rao. The leg-spinner, who earlier played for Tamil Nadu, was the most successful Canada bowler with four for 57. It could have been Taibu's third century in ODIs and first in the World Cup before he skied a catch to mid-wicket as he unable to judge the bounce of the ball. Taibu and Ervine added 181 for the third wicket setting a new record at the Jamtha ground.
Despite losing four wickets in a span of 31 runs, Zimbabwe managed to reach near 300 thanks to brilliant batting towards the end by Sean Williams (30), Prosper Utseya (22) and Graeme Cremer (26). Once Zimbabwe piled up a huge score it was a matter of formality. Chasing a target of 299, Canada had to play out of their skins and Zimbabwe had to bowl really bad to change the obvious. Both things didn't happen as Zimbabwe registered a thumping 175-run victory to notch up their first win and keep alive their hopes of reaching the quarterfinals.
Zimbabwe's strength is spin bowling and they displayed their might as Ray Price in the company of Cremer (3 wkts each), Utseya and Lamb (2 wkts each) bundled out the hapless Canada for mere 123 in 42.1 overs. All 10 wickets were claimed by spinners.
The oldest and youngest player " John Davison and Nitish Kumar" did make an unique record by opening the Canada innings but apart from that they couldn't do much on the field. While Davison failed to open his account, 16-year-old Nitish could not make his World Cup debut a memorable one as he managed just one off 10 balls.
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score card
| Zimbabwe innings (50 overs maximum) | R | M | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| BRM Taylor | lbw b Khurram Chohan | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 0.1 is he trapped in front? First ball, it was an inswinger, landed just outside off and nipped back in, struck on the back pad as Taylor tried to close the face on that one. The umpire's given it out, Taylor's called for the referral. No impact with the bat, replays suggest it would have hit middle. The initial decision is upheld, Canada draw first blood 0/1
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| CK Coventry | lbw b Baidwan | 4 | 16 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 40.00 |
| 3.3 swinging across the line is Coventry, poor choice of shot, on middle and leg and a hint of inswing, Coventry tried to flick it over square leg, missed and was trapped in front of leg. Didn't ask for the referral there. He consulted with Taibu who told him he was out, and that he surely was. Charles keeps us waiting, his post-194 form remains unsatisfactory 7/2
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| T Taibu† | c Davison b Balaji Rao | 98 | 147 | 99 | 9 | 0 | 98.98 |
| 33.6 84.3 kph, Oh Taibu, what have you done? Three quick wickets and the Canadians are back, tossed up outside off and Taibu went for the slog-sweep, not a wholehearted one though, got the top edge as he went against the turn and holed out to deep midwicket who's standing several yards in 201/5
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| CR Ervine | c †Bagai b Balaji Rao | 85 | 114 | 81 | 6 | 2 | 104.93 |
| 31.2 Partnership broken, spun back in from outside off, Ervine was just looking to defend it, there was a hint of extra bounce, got an inside edge onto the pads and it popped up, Bagai made no mistake 188/3
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| E Chigumbura* | c †Bagai b Rizwan Cheema | 5 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 62.50 |
| 32.4 121.2 kph, Bagai's been excellent behind the stumps, Canada are trying to claw their way back in now, nipped back in from a good length, gets forward to defend, gets an inside edge onto the pads and Bagai dives forward to clasp it on the pitch 193/4
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| SC Williams | c †Bagai b Balaji Rao | 30 | 34 | 25 | 3 | 0 | 120.00 |
| 41.4 87.2 kph, Bagai's into the act again, and so is Rao. Another important wicket just as Zimbabwe were stepping up, a ball bowled down the leg side, not particularly deserving of a wicket, Williams was looking to sweep it fine as ill-luck would have it, it went off the back of the bat straight into Bagai's gloves 240/7
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| GA Lamb | b Balaji Rao | 11 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 84.61 |
| 37.4 84.5 kph, gone, Rao's on a roll. A touch fortunate for the bowler there as Lamb dragged that one on, it spun away from the off stump, Lamb attempted the cut, got an inside edge onto the stumps, six down now 219/6
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| P Utseya | c Hansra b Khurram Chohan | 22 | 40 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 75.86 |
| 47.4 135.9 kph, Utseya struck that well but holed out to deep square leg, length delivery and he picked it up well but found Jimmy Hansra perfectly positioned in the deep, he ran in a few yards and judged it well 281/8
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| AG Cremer | b Baidwan | 26 | 31 | 23 | 2 | 0 | 113.04 |
| 48.2 the offcutter by Baidwan does the trick, Cremer had made room there and was targeting the straight boundary, tried to hit through the line, got an edge that flicked leg stump, nine down now with 10 Powerplay balls left. They wouldn't want to waste it. Handy knock by Cremer, though 284/9
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| RW Price | not out | 10 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 166.66 |
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| CB Mpofu | not out | 3 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 60.00 |
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| Extras | (lb 2, w 1, nb 1) | 4 |
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| Total | (9 wickets; 50 overs; 219 mins) | 298 | (5.96 runs per over) |
| Fall of wickets1-0 (Taylor, 0.1 ov), 2-7 (Coventry, 3.3 ov), 3-188 (Ervine, 31.2 ov), 4-193 (Chigumbura, 32.4 ov), 5-201 (Taibu, 33.6 ov), 6-219 (Lamb, 37.4 ov), 7-240 (Williams, 41.4 ov), 8-281 (Utseya, 47.4 ov), 9-284 (Cremer, 48.2 ov) |
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| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ |
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| Khurram Chohan | 10 | 0 | 44 | 2 | 4.40 | (1nb, 1w) |
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| 0.1 to Taylor, is he trapped in front? First ball, it was an inswinger, landed just outside off and nipped back in, struck on the back pad as Taylor tried to close the face on that one. The umpire's given it out, Taylor's called for the referral. No impact with the bat, replays suggest it would have hit middle. The initial decision is upheld, Canada draw first blood 0/1
47.4 to Utseya, 135.9 kph, Utseya struck that well but holed out to deep square leg, length delivery and he picked it up well but found Jimmy Hansra perfectly positioned in the deep, he ran in a few yards and judged it well 281/8
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| HS Baidwan | 9 | 0 | 47 | 2 | 5.22 |
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| 3.3 to Coventry, swinging across the line is Coventry, poor choice of shot, on middle and leg and a hint of inswing, Coventry tried to flick it over square leg, missed and was trapped in front of leg. Didn't ask for the referral there. He consulted with Taibu who told him he was out, and that he surely was. Charles keeps us waiting, his post-194 form remains unsatisfactory 7/2
48.2 to Cremer, the offcutter by Baidwan does the trick, Cremer had made room there and was targeting the straight boundary, tried to hit through the line, got an edge that flicked leg stump, nine down now with 10 Powerplay balls left. They wouldn't want to waste it. Handy knock by Cremer, though 284/9
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| AS Hansra | 4 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 10.25 |
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| Rizwan Cheema | 9 | 0 | 51 | 1 | 5.66 |
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| 32.4 to Chigumbura, 121.2 kph, Bagai's been excellent behind the stumps, Canada are trying to claw their way back in now, nipped back in from a good length, gets forward to defend, gets an inside edge onto the pads and Bagai dives forward to clasp it on the pitch 193/4
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| WD Balaji Rao | 10 | 0 | 57 | 4 | 5.70 |
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| 31.2 to Ervine, Partnership broken, spun back in from outside off, Ervine was just looking to defend it, there was a hint of extra bounce, got an inside edge onto the pads and it popped up, Bagai made no mistake 188/3
33.6 to Taibu, 84.3 kph, Oh Taibu, what have you done? Three quick wickets and the Canadians are back, tossed up outside off and Taibu went for the slog-sweep, not a wholehearted one though, got the top edge as he went against the turn and holed out to deep midwicket who's standing several yards in 201/5
37.4 to Lamb, 84.5 kph, gone, Rao's on a roll. A touch fortunate for the bowler there as Lamb dragged that one on, it spun away from the off stump, Lamb attempted the cut, got an inside edge onto the stumps, six down now 219/6
41.4 to Williams, 87.2 kph, Bagai's into the act again, and so is Rao. Another important wicket just as Zimbabwe were stepping up, a ball bowled down the leg side, not particularly deserving of a wicket, Williams was looking to sweep it fine as ill-luck would have it, it went off the back of the bat straight into Bagai's gloves 240/7
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| JM Davison | 8 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 7.00 |
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| Canada innings (target: 299 runs from 50 overs) | R | M | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
| JM Davison | b Price | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 1.3 89.0 kph, Price strikes. What a performer for Zimbabwe, regularly opens the bowling, and hardly ever disappoints. Davison gives him the charge here, and plays down the wrong line of a flighted delivery that straightens ever so little. Enough to take the top of off. The bail hits the keeper in the throat 1/1
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| NR Kumar | c & b Price | 1 | 22 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10.00 |
| 5.3 88.1 kph, Price sticks his left hand out and sends back Kumar. He slowed this one down, inviting the drive, Kumar got inside the line, and looked to go towards mid-off, playing half a second too early, and chipping it to the left of Price. No great pace on the ball, and Price takes a good one-handed catch 7/2
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| R Gunasekera | b Lamb | 24 | 76 | 64 | 2 | 0 | 37.50 |
| 21.1 77.3 kph, with one, come two! Tame dismissal. Pitched middle and off, turning away, looks to run this down to third man. However, it doesn't turn as much as he expects, takes the inside edge, onto the pad, then softly onto the stumps 50/5
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| A Bagai*† | c Williams b Price | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 5.4 81.5 kph, Price is on a hat-trick. And what an ordinary way to get out for the captain. It seemed Bagai had decided yesterday he would sweep Price the first ball he faces him. He does. And the ball is slightly shorter than he wants, and there is a touch extra bounce, and the tame top edge is pouched at square leg 7/3
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| AS Hansra | st †Taibu b Utseya | 20 | 53 | 41 | 1 | 1 | 48.78 |
| 20.3 83.7 kph, Utseya's guile works finally. tossed up outside off again, Hansra is pulled out of the crease, and this one goes straight and beats him defensive prod, and he is stumped by a mile. Beaten in flight, beaten by the lack of turn. Stumpings don't come more comprehensive 50/4
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| Rizwan Cheema | c Cremer b Utseya | 14 | 9 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 140.00 |
| 22.5 91.0 kph, gone! Too short this eventful stay of Cheema has been. Dismissed by a juicy, leg-side full toss. Well he tried to hit a six, but was early into the shot, and off the back of the bat it lobbed straight to short fine leg. What do we look forward to now? 66/6
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| ZE Surkari | st †Taibu b Lamb | 26 | 70 | 48 | 2 | 0 | 54.16 |
| 41.2 85.7 kph, that's No. 9. Good stumping off the wide down the leg side. Lamb saw him coming, bowled flat, middle and leg, and it turned down the leg side, a bit too sharply, but Taibu did well to collect it and then whip the bails off 122/9
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| TG Gordon | lbw b Cremer | 7 | 13 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 35.00 |
| 26.6 93.7 kph, plumb, absolutely dead plumb. This is the skiddy legbreak, and Gordon's inclination to stay back proves to be lethal this time. The ball pitches middle, rushes through and hits him in front of middle and leg 78/7
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| Khurram Chohan | lbw b Cremer | 8 | 22 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 36.36 |
| 34.3 79.6 kph, straighter one or did it just not turn? It is a full delivery, he plays for the turn, and it goes straight on and hits him in front of off, it seems. Rauf upholds the appeal for leg-before. Chohan reviews this, but this is dead, hitting the inside of off stump 97/8
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| HS Baidwan | not out | 13 | 29 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 56.52 |
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| WD Balaji Rao | b Cremer | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16.66 |
| 42.1 77.6 kph, bowled'im! Leggie to leggie! Through the gate. Beauty. Pitches outside off, draws the left-hand batsman into a forward defensive, then turns it between the bat and pad and takes top of off. All over at Jamtha 123/10
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| Extras | (w 9) | 9 |
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| Total | (all out; 42.1 overs; 160 mins) | 123 | (2.91 runs per over) |
| Fall of wickets1-1 (Davison, 1.3 ov), 2-7 (Kumar, 5.3 ov), 3-7 (Bagai, 5.4 ov), 4-50 (Hansra, 20.3 ov), 5-50 (Gunasekera, 21.1 ov), 6-66 (Rizwan Cheema, 22.5 ov), 7-78 (Gordon, 26.6 ov), 8-97 (Khurram Chohan, 34.3 ov), 9-122 (Surkari, 41.1 ov), 10-123 (Balaji Rao, 42.1 ov) |
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| Bowling | O | M | R | W | Econ |
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| CB Mpofu | 5 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 2.40 | (1w) |
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| RW Price | 8 | 4 | 16 | 3 | 2.00 |
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| 1.3 to Davison, 89.0 kph, Price strikes. What a performer for Zimbabwe, regularly opens the bowling, and hardly ever disappoints. Davison gives him the charge here, and plays down the wrong line of a flighted delivery that straightens ever so little. Enough to take the top of off. The bail hits the keeper in the throat 1/1
5.3 to Kumar, 88.1 kph, Price sticks his left hand out and sends back Kumar. He slowed this one down, inviting the drive, Kumar got inside the line, and looked to go towards mid-off, playing half a second too early, and chipping it to the left of Price. No great pace on the ball, and Price takes a good one-handed catch 7/2
5.4 to Bagai, 81.5 kph, Price is on a hat-trick. And what an ordinary way to get out for the captain. It seemed Bagai had decided yesterday he would sweep Price the first ball he faces him. He does. And the ball is slightly shorter than he wants, and there is a touch extra bounce, and the tame top edge is pouched at square leg 7/3
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| P Utseya | 7 | 0 | 24 | 2 | 3.42 | (2w) |
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| 20.3 to Hansra, 83.7 kph, Utseya's guile works finally. tossed up outside off again, Hansra is pulled out of the crease, and this one goes straight and beats him defensive prod, and he is stumped by a mile. Beaten in flight, beaten by the lack of turn. Stumpings don't come more comprehensive 50/4
22.5 to Rizwan Cheema, 91.0 kph, gone! Too short this eventful stay of Cheema has been. Dismissed by a juicy, leg-side full toss. Well he tried to hit a six, but was early into the shot, and off the back of the bat it lobbed straight to short fine leg. What do we look forward to now? 66/6
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| GA Lamb | 8 | 0 | 29 | 2 | 3.62 | (6w) |
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| 21.1 to Gunasekera, 77.3 kph, with one, come two! Tame dismissal. Pitched middle and off, turning away, looks to run this down to third man. However, it doesn't turn as much as he expects, takes the inside edge, onto the pad, then softly onto the stumps 50/5
41.2 to Surkari, 85.7 kph, that's No. 9. Good stumping off the wide down the leg side. Lamb saw him coming, bowled flat, middle and leg, and it turned down the leg side, a bit too sharply, but Taibu did well to collect it and then whip the bails off 122/9
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| AG Cremer | 9.1 | 1 | 31 | 3 | 3.38 |
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| 26.6 to Gordon, 93.7 kph, plumb, absolutely dead plumb. This is the skiddy legbreak, and Gordon's inclination to stay back proves to be lethal this time. The ball pitches middle, rushes through and hits him in front of middle and leg 78/7
34.3 to Khurram Chohan, 79.6 kph, straighter one or did it just not turn? It is a full delivery, he plays for the turn, and it goes straight on and hits him in front of off, it seems. Rauf upholds the appeal for leg-before. Chohan reviews this, but this is dead, hitting the inside of off stump 97/8
42.1 to Balaji Rao, 77.6 kph, bowled'im! Leggie to leggie! Through the gate. Beauty. Pitches outside off, draws the left-hand batsman into a forward defensive, then turns it between the bat and pad and takes top of off. All over at Jamtha 123/10
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| SC Williams | 5 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 2.20 |
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