CAPE TOWN – Zimbabwe fought a strong rearguard action on the final day of the three-day tour match against the SA Invitation XI at Eurolux Boland Park on Friday to give themselves a chance of winning the encounter as the testing night-time batting conditions settled in.
Ryan Burl (51 off 138 balls, 6 fours) and Chamu Chibhabha (55 off 110 balls, 5 fours and a six) were largely responsible as they shared an eighth-wicket partnership of 97 that was easily their side’s highest of the match.
It enabled the visitors to score 123 runs for the loss of their last three wickets before they were all out right on the stroke of the dinner break (the first interval of the day), setting the South Africans to make 153 for victory.
There was still more than enough time left in the match with 63 overs still available but most of these were to be bowled under floodlit conditions when batting has proved to be much more difficult in the match to date.
Lizaad Williams (4/47) and Shaun von Berg (3/57) were the two most successful bowlers.
The Invitation XI made a solid if unspectacular start to their chase and reduced the target to double figures for the loss of their captain, Dominic Hendricks, wicket.