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Sikandar Raza Butt

Zimbabwe XI – 229 for 8 in 35 overs (Solomon Mire 68*, Sikandar Raza Butt 59; Donovan Deeble 4/50)
Northern Districts XI – 207 for 8 in 35 overs (Jono Boult 59; Tinashe Panyangara 2/27)
Zimbabwe XI won by 22 runs.

ZIMBABWE recorded a 22-run win over Northern Districts XI in an a one-day warm- up match played at the Harry Barker Reserve in Gisborne, New Zealand yesterday.

In a match that had to be reduced to 35 overs per side due to rain, Zimbabwe were put in to bat first in gloomy conditions and the batsmen, barring a couple, showed signs of rust in getting to 229 runs.

Opener Sikandar Raza Butt continued in his rich vein of form and helped himself to a quick-fire 59 off 53 balls. Craig Ervine scratched around for 31 runs in the middle period before Solomon Mire provided the finishing touch to the innings with an explosive 68 not out to power Zimbabwe to 229 runs.

Mire, who keeps impressing with each outing, came in at number eight and consolidated his heralded pinch hitting reputation with an innings that included three fours and six towering sixes.

For Northern Districts XI, Donovan Deeble was the pick of the bowlers claiming four wickets for 50 runs.

Northern Districts however, did not go quietly. They set off at a sprint and their middle order led by Jono Boult (59) kept them in the game, but they failed to sustain the aggression as the asking rate soared irreversibly out of reach.

Tinashe Panyangara (2-27) and Tendai Chatara (1-28) were at their usual disciplined best upfront with Solomon Mire (2-22) offering support. The spin duo of Tafadzwa Kamungozi (1-34) and Sean Williams (1-23) were economical in the middle period and slowed the scoring.

Zimbabwe can be relieved to have done what was expected of them, and they will go into the second one-day warm-up match, which is on Wednesday, keen to continue with the winning trend.

Squads
Northern Districts XI
Bharat Popli, Anish Desai, Scott Tallott, Tim Seifert (wicket-keeper), Jono Boult (captain), Tom Hayes, Brett Hampton, Peter Bocock, Arnie Yugaraja, D Thompson, Tony Goodin and Donovan Deeble.

Zimbabwe XI
Sikandar Raza Butt, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Hamilton Masakadza, Brendan Taylor (wicket-keeper), Sean Williams, Craig Ervine, Elton Chigumbura (captain), Solomon Mire, Tinashe Panyangara, Tendai Chatara, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Regis Chakabva and Prosper Utseya. – ZC