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Mehluli Sibanda, Senior Sports Reporter
THE unofficial Test cricket match between Zimbabwe A and Pakistan A at Queens Sports Club failed to produce a winner and ended in a stalemate yesterday when play was abandoned with an hour left on the final day when it became apparent there would be no winner.

Pakistan scored a hasty 72 runs off 12 overs at six runs per over and still required 234 runs to contest. Zimbabwe A, steered by 87 runs from Malcolm Waller, amassed 219 runs at the expense of six wickets in 75.2 overs.

This left the visitors needing 306 runs for victory when the declaration came just after tea. Zimbabwe A resumed from their overnight score of 25 for one, with Tinotenda Mawoyo and Craig Ervine at the crease. Mawoyo and Ervine went early in the morning session, but Sikandar Raza and Waller brought stability to the home side’s innings with a 77-run stand for the fourth wicket.

Raza scored 40 off 64 balls, while Waller compiled 87 from 126 deliveries before he was dismissed to leg break bowler Shadab Khan, taken on the boundary and Zimbabwe A decided to bring their second innings to an end.

Pakistan A openers attacked from the start with 10 runs off Christopher Mpofu’s opening over. The introduction of slow bowlers Graeme Cremer and Raza reduced the scoring rate for Pakistan A.

Fakhar Zaman was the highest run scorer with 40 runs, with his partner Zain Abbas on 31 when the contest was declared a draw.

Zimbabwe A and Pakistan A clash in another four-day contest at the same venue from Saturday.

@Mdawini_29.