Hazratullah Zazai’s brilliance helps Durban Qalandars clinch second consecutive win

Harare, 22^nd July, 2023: The Durban Qalandars registered their second win of the inaugural edition of the Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10, as they swatted away the challenge of the Joburg Buffaloes with relative ease. The Durban Qalandars rode the heroics of opening batter Hazratullah Zazai and won the match by 7 wickets, with 5 balls to spare.

Batting first, the Joburg Buffaloes got off to a fine start with Tom Banton firing on all cylinders. However, after a 22-run opening stand, Will Smeed was knocked over for 1 by George Linde. In walked the very experienced skipper Mohammad Hafeez and joined Banton.

Banton continued to attack from his end, while Hafeez held up the other. The duo put on 18 runs together before Hafeez was dismissed for 11. The Durban Qalandars were on the hunt for more quick wickets, however, Mushfiqur Rahim and Banton came together and thwarted the bowlers, putting together a good 35-run stand for the third wicket.

The Bangladeshi cricketer Rahim was the next to depart for 19, after which Yusuf Pathan added 4 runs to the cause, while Banton did the bulk of the scoring from his end. In the process the English cricketer completed a half-century, and helped his side post 94/4 in their 10 overs.

In the chase, the Qalandars lost the first wicket in Tim Seifert (7) as Noor Ahmed struck in the third over to break an opening stand of 22 runs. Nonetheless, Hazratullah Zazai and Andre Fletcher stitched together an important 25-run stand after that, to keep the Qalandars in the driver’s seat in the game.

Fletcher though could not kick and was dismissed by Hafeez for 12, after which Asif Ali joined Zazai in the middle with the game on a knife-edge. In the final three overs, the Qalandars needed 22 runs to win with Zazai and Ali going strong.

From then on in, Zazai took charge for the Qalandars and Ali also chipped in with a couple of big hits, before Hafeez broke through, picking the wicket of Ali for 23, who was stumped while looking to go big hit. Zazai and Ali put on 42 runs during their partnership.

In the final over, Zazai put the seal on the win with a huge six over mid-wicket, remaining unbeaten on 41.

Brief Scores:

Joburg Buffaloes – 94/4 in 10 overs (Tom Banton – 55*, Mushfiqur Rahim – 19; Tendai Chatara – 2/14, Azmatullah Omerzai – 1/16) lost by 7 wickets against Durban Qalandars – 97/3 (Hazratullah Zazai – 41*, Asif Ali – 23; Mohammad Hafeez – 2/13, Noor Ahmed – 1/16)