Zimbabwe Tour of Kenya

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Fixture

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Kenya v Zimbabwe, 1st ODI, Mombasa


Chigumbura leads Kenya thrashing


January 27, 2009


Zimbabwe 306 for 7 (Chigumbura 79, Sibanda 77, Masakadza 71) beat Kenya 197 (Kamande 74, Rainsford 2-19, Chigumbura 2-23) by 109 runs

[Sadaf Gondal]

MOMBASA, Kenya: Zimbabwe beat Kenya by 109 runs in a one-day international cricket match here on Tuesday, the first of five ODIs between the two countries. Vusi Sibanda's 77 and a brutal 38-ball 79 from Elton Chigumbura helped Zimbabwe set a towering 307-run target for Kenya to win.However, Kenya lost four early wickets inside the first sixteen overs and could not emerge on top despite Jimmy Kamande's best efforts with 74.With the score tottering on 93 for 6, Kenya's hopes were dashed. However, Kamande and Varaiya put on 90 in 21 overs but they were not able to lift the scoring rate more than four, though Kamande did lift Dabengwa for two consecutive sixes to please the local crowd.Ed Rainsford cleaned up Kamande for an 86-ball 74, and Kenya's tail offered little resistance. Zimbabwean batsmen asserted their authority on Kenya's wayward bowling attack as Sibanada and Hamilton Masakadza got them off to a brisk start, putting on 111 for the first wicket.Soon after the pair's hundred partnership, Varaiya had Masakadza well-caught by Onyango at mid-on, and Steve Tikolo took two quick wickets to slow Zimbabwe's momentum at 188 for 4.

[Sadaf Gondal]

MOMBASA: Zimbabwe piled up their record one-day total in another dominant batting display against Kenya in the second ODI here on Thursday as they powered to 351 for 7.

Stuart Matsikenyeri scored his career-best 90 and found strong support from Malcolm Waller who hit his maiden ODI half-century. But for the second game running it was Elton Chigumbura who provided the real fireworks with a 29-ball 68.

It was the first time Zimbabwe had passed 300 in consecutive ODIs and they went beyond their previous best team effort of 340 for two, set against Namibia in 2003.

Chigumbura's late assault, where he found the boundary at will against an attack that had lost all confidence, made the difference between a handsome total and a record one.

He reached fifty off 22 balls, the second fastest by a Zimbabwean behind Doug Marillier, taking a combined 46 off the 48th and 49th overs bowled by Peter Ongondo and Nehemiah Odhiambo. Chigumbura finally fell off the penultimate ball of the innings.

Matsikenyeri and Waller added 105 in 13 overs in a fourth-wicket stand to give the innings a crucial push. Waller reach his fifty off 46 balls, as the Kenya attack once again struggled to stem the tide.

Zimbabwe's innings began swiftly by Hamilton Masakadza and Vusi Sibanda as the pair opened with 44 in eight overs. Odhiambo boosted Kenya by trapping Masakadza with a delivery that struck him around ankle height, but the visitors steadily built a solid platform.

Sibanda and Keith Dabengwa (25) were both dismissed after useful efforts along side Matsikenyeri before he and Waller took control. Matsikenyeri was in sight of a maiden one-day century when he fell sweeping at Collins Obuya. Waller went three overs later, clubbing down to long-on, but the lower-order had been given a license to hit out.