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JAYDEN SCHADENDORF scored an unbeaten half-century that helped the Zimbabwe Under-19 side to an eight-wicket victory over the Namibia Under-19s in a youth one-day international match that was affected by rain at Harare Sports Club yesterday.

But even before bad light and rain interrupted play, the big victory had appeared inevitable for the home side who needed 54 runs with eight wickets and 172 balls remaining at the time the umpires called the players off the field.

There were three changes to the Zimbabwe Under-19 side that beat the tourists in Tuesday’s 50-over match, with the trio of Declan Oldrieve, Prince Kaunda and Struan Gordon coming in for Wesley Madhevere, Dion Mazhawidza and Dane Schadendorf. This time round the hosts won the toss and elected to field.

Kaunda and Gordon were threatening with the ball from the onset and in the third over, with 10 runs on the board, the Namibians lost their first wicket when van der Merwe nicked Kaunda into the safe hands of Liam Roche. He departed for six, including a boundary, off the seven balls he faced.

In the fifth over, the left-arm seamer Kaunda struck again, removing the other opening batsman, Henry Brink, for six; 20 for two.

Eben van Wyk, who scored 49 in Tuesday’s match, was again the mainstay of the Namibian innings but he was unfortunate to keep losing his batting partners at regular intervals.

When van Wyk was eventually dismissed, leaving the Namibia Under-19s reeling on 80 for five in the 26th over, he had scored half of his team’s total – his 41 runs came off 71 deliveries and included four boundaries.

Just three balls after his single that brought up the team hundred, Jan Nicole Loftie-Eaton was bowled for 17 by Milton Shumba; 100 for six in the 34th over.

Petrus Burger, however, scored a fighting 31, while de Villers chipped in with 13, before the tourists were scuttled for 150 in 49 overs.

There were two wickets each for Kaunda, Kieran Robinson, Shumba and Roche.

The two sides will face each other again in their next ODI at Takashinga today before action returns to Harare Sports Club for the final match of the series on Sunday.

Scores

Namibia Under-19s: 150 all out in 49 overs (Eben van Wyk 41, Petrus Burger 31, Jan Nicole Loftie-Eaton 17; Prince Kaunda 2/16, Kieran Robinson 2/20, Milton Shumba 2/21, Liam Roche 2/26)

Zimbabwe Under-19s: 107-2 in 22.4/33 overs (revised target 107) (Jayden Schadendorf 51*, Milton Shumba 27; Petrus Burger 1/11, Mauritius Ngupita 1/21)

Zimbabwe Under-19s won by eight wickets (D/L method).

— zimcricket.