Williams and Burl guide Zimbabwe to series win

Dubai: The UAE bowed to a strong performance from Zimbabwe to lose the third One-day International of the four-match series by 131 runs at the Harare Sports Club ground.

Zimbabwe, by winning all three matches, have won the series and will be aiming for a clean sweep in the last match tomorrow (April 16).

Zimbabwe piled up a huge score of 307 for 4 in 50 overs through Sean Williams’s unbeaten 109 and restricted UAE to 176 in 46.2 overs.

Except for Mohammad Usman, who hit 49 runs and CP Rizwan, who scored 47 runs, none of the other batsmen rose to the challenge.

Zimbabwe, put in to bat, lost an early wicket when Qadeer Ahmad had Regis Chakabva caught behind by Ghulam Shabber for 1.

Opener Solomon Mire and one-drop batsman Craig Ervine put on 102 runs for the second wicket before Zahoor Khan had Mire out for 40 runs that came off 59 balls with six sixers.

Ervine took the score to 115 at the half way mark but got bowled by Rohan Mustafa for 64. His knock came off 71 balls and had five boundaries and three sixes.

Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza put on 57 runs for the fourth wicket before Raza got caught by CP Rizwan off skipper Mohammad Naveed for 18.

This was followed by an unbeaten 145 runs partnership off just 113 balls between Williams and skipper Peter Moor. Williams remained unbeaten on 109 off 84 balls with seven boundaries and three sixes. Moor remained unconquered on 58 off 54 balls with four boundaries and two sixes.

Chasing the score, UAE got off to a disastrous start. Opener Ashfaq Ahmad fell, caught behind off Kyle Jarvis in the third over, for 1.

Jarvis also dismissed one-drop Ghulam Shabber for a duck. Rohan Mustafa too followed quickly getting caught by Jarvis off Christopher Mpofu for 9.

The UAE slipped to 15 for 3 in six overs. Shaiman Anwar and Rizwan put on 46 runs for the fourth wicket. Donald Tiripano trapped Anwar leg before for 27 off 39 balls with four boundaries and six.

Rizwan played some lovely shots and looked set for a half century. He put on 65 runs for the fifth wicket with Mohammad Umsan. Rizwan fell when trying to hit leg spinner Ryan Burl over the covers but got caught by Ervine for 47 off 102 balls with three boundaries.

Usman then put on 28 runs in the next 4.5 overs with Mohammad Boota before Usman fell for 49 off 74 balls with three boundaries and a six. Off spinner Raza hit Usman’s off stump with a fast straight delivery. In the 43rd over, Boota fell to Burl for a run-a-ball 15 runs, getting caught at long on. Burl returned with figures of four for 32.

Brief scores: Zimbabwe bt UAE by 131 runs. Zimbabwe 307 for 4 in 50 overs (Solomon Mire 40, Craig Ervine 64, Sean Williams 109n.o, Peter Moor 58n.o) UAE 176 in 46.2 overs (CP Rizwan 47, Mohammad Usman 49, Kyle Jarvis 2 for 20, Sikandar Raza 2 for 44, Ryan Burl 4 for 32). Player of the match: Sean Williams.