Inform Craig Ervine set a new record for the highest List A score by a Zimbabwean to inspire Zimbabwe Select to a 32-run victory over the Pakistan A side in the sixth and final one-day match at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
The victory meant Zimbabwe Select won the six-match one-day international (ODI) series 4-2 against the Pakistan A squad which is also known as the Pakistan Shaheens.
The star of the show for the home side was 37-year-old Ervine, who smashed the highest individual score by a Zimbabwean batsman in List A cricket surpassing Charles Coventry’s longstanding record.
Barely a few days after he scored another match-winning 161 in the fourth one-day match last Wednesday, before being rested for Friday’s encounter, Ervine scored a remarkable 195 runs off 149 balls to help Zimbabwe to 385 for seven wickets in their allotted overs.
Ervine’s knock which included six sixes and 22 fours bettered the record individual score in any List A match by a Zimbabwean, scored by Coventry in an official ODI against Bangladesh at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo in 2009.
The elegant left-handed batter shared a brilliant second wicket partnership stand of 187 with opener Innocent Kaia, who hit 10 fours and three sixes during his entertaining knock of 92 runs from 79 balls.
His brilliant individual display meant Mubasir Khan’s 115 went in vain and so did skipper Kamran Ghulam’s half-century as the home team’s bowlers outclassed the Shaheens’ battling line-up to defend their total.
The Shaheens fell 32 runs short and were all out on 353 in 49.2 overs.
Apart from Ghulam and Khan, Rohail Nazir also performed well with the bat as he smashed 87 runs. Opener Haseebullah Khan also tried to give a good start to his side as she scored 35 runs.
Sikandar Raza impressed with the ball for Zimbabwe Select as he picked up three scalps, while Blessing Muzarabani, Tanaka Chivanga, and Luke Jongwe took two wickets each with Sean Williams chipping in with a wicket.
Scores in Brief
Zimbabwe Select – 385-7 in 50 overs (Craig Ervine 195, Innocent Kaia 92, Ryan Burl 31; Mohammad Ali 2/32, Qasim Akram 2/60, Aamer Jamal 2/89)
Pakistan Shaheens – 353 all out in 49.2 overs (Mubasir Khan 115, Rohail Nazir 87, Kamran Ghulam 56; Sikandar Raza 3/66, Luke Jongwe 2/54, Blessing Muzarabani 2/55)
Zimbabwe Select won by 32 runs