Joburg Buffaloes put on a dominant performance in the final game of the league stage in the inaugural edition of the Zim Afro T10, defeating the convincingly by 9 wickets with 22 deliveries to spare.
In the match, the Harare Hurricanes had a slow start, losing their Indian opener Robin Uthappa early on for just 6 runs. The Joburg Buffaloes took advantaHarare Hurricanes ge of the situation, and Evin Lewis also departed quickly after scoring just 1 run. Regis Chakabva (10) couldn’t convert his start, but Donovan Ferreira and Mohammad Nabi tried to stabilize the innings with a partnership of 19 runs. However, the Buffaloes struck again in the 7th over when Blessing Muzarabani got a breakthrough.
Despite the setback, Mohammad Nabi and Irfan Pathan showed some resistance and added 20 runs to the score. But soon, Nabi was dismissed for 19, followed by Luke Jongwe for a duck. Samit Patel (2) also couldn’t stay at the crease long, being dismissed by Junior Dala. Finally, it was Irfan Pathan (10*) and Tashinga Musekiwa who finished the innings with a flourish, and the Harare Hurricanes posted a total of 81/7 in their 10 overs.
In response, the Joburg Buffaloes had a strong start despite losing their experienced captain, Mohammad Hafeez, early on for 7 runs, thanks to Indian pacer S. Sreesanth. However, Tom Banton and Will Smeed took charge and attacked from the beginning. The duo settled in quickly and began scoring boundaries, taking the Buffaloes’ score to 63/1 by the halfway stage.
Will Smeed played an impressive unbeaten innings of 44 runs, overtaking Tom Banton’s contribution. The partnership between Banton and Smeed proved unstoppable, and the Buffaloes cruised to a comprehensive victory. They chased down the target of 82 in just 6.2 overs, winning the match with more than three overs to spare.
In the end, the Joburg Buffaloes demonstrated their supremacy and moved into the second spot on the points table, behind the Durban Qalandars, concluding the league stage of the tournament on a high note.
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