Zimbabwe lose four in tough chase of 241

By: Mushtaq ahmad on 23:29

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Zimbabwe Select XI 142 (Waller 25, Ahmed 4-54) & 51 for 4 (Masakadza 35*, Hazlewood 2-10) need 190 runs to beat Australia A 226 (Henriques 71, Jarvis 4-54) & 156 (Doolan 52, Chigumbura 4-26)
Scorecard  

	File photo - Zimbabwe's hopes of chasing 241 rest on Hamilton Masakadza © AFP  Enlarge

Zimbabwe's Select XI were asked to score the highest total of the match so far against Australia A when they were set a target of 241 to win the three-day match in Harare. As was the case in their first innings, their top order collapsed against the pace of Australia's young quicks and they will have to rely on the lower order to restore respectability. 

They did a decent job of that earlier on the second day when they put on 60 runs to post a slight recovery from 82 for 5 overnight. Elton Chigumbura went without scoring and that proved a sign of things to come. He fell to Pakistani-born legspinner Fawad Ahmed, who ran through the tail. 

Malcolm Waller and Natsai Mushangwe shared a seventh-wicket stand of 31 but both were dismissed with the score on 113. Both succumbed to the pace bowlers, leaving Ahmed to deal with the remaining batsmen. He accounted for both Kyle Jarvis, whose score of 20 was the third-highest on the card, and Tendai Chatara to leave Zimbabwe's XI 84 runs behind. 

Their bowlers made the day brighter, taking the first Australian wicket with the score on 11. Jarvis had Aaron Finch trapped lbw. David Warner's Ashes ambitions took another knock as he managed just 11 while the runs came from Nic Maddinson and Alex Doolan. 

Partnerships were insubstantial apart from 55 between Doolan and Glenn Maxwell on a slow surface. Legspinner Mushangwe was among the wickets and claimed three while Elton Chigumbura accounted for the lower order as Australia lost their last six wickets for 21 runs.

With their bowling having done a fine job in dismissing Australia A for 156, it was up to Zimbabwe's batsmen to show some temperament but they could muster very little. Vusi Sibanda was out in the second over - bowled by Gurinder Sandhu - and Sikandar Raza followed in the next over. Zimbabwe were 1 for 2 and in a familiar position of strife. 

Brendan Taylor failed to make an impression in the match, out for 5, and the day ended with Waller also dismissed for 6. Hamilton Masakadza was still at the crease but will have to see off Ahmed and marshall the middle and lower order if Zimbabwe have any chances of registering an unlikely win.