Uthappa’s brilliance helps Harare Hurricanes big Win Against DQ
Harare,
The Harare Hurricanes put on scintillating display with the bat, as the experienced Robin Uthappa rolled back the clock, and scored freely against the Durban Qalandars, registering an emphatic half-century, setting his team on the way to a comprehensive 24-run win in what was a high-scoring game at the Harare Sports Club.
Batting first, the Harare Hurricanes openers were in fine form from the get-go and took the attack to the Durban Qalandars. Both Robin Uthappa and Regis Chakabva were dealing in boundaries in the initial stages of the innings, and the Qalandars were finding it tough to apply the brakes.
Uthappa completed his half-century just after the half-way stage, but could not kick on. He smashed four sixes and five boundaries, during his 23-ball knock in which he scored 53, before being the first to depart with the score at 92 in the 7th over.
After that Ferreira (24*) and Mohammad Nabi (2*) helped the Hurricanes get to 134/2.
In response, the Qalandars had an early hiccup as they lost the in-form opener Tim Seifert for 8 in the 3rd over. After that Andre Fletcher, who had been promoted to open the innings, was joined by Hazratullah Zazai, and they took charge.
However, even at this point, the Hurricanes seemed to have the advantage, in what was a delicately poised contest. Zazai and Fletcher went into the final over with 31 runs needed to win, and even though they threw the kitchen sink at the bowling, they fell short on the night. Zazai fell just before the end for 49, as the Qalandars lost by 24 runs.
Brief Scores
Harare Hurricanes – 134/2 (Robin Uthappa – 53, Regis Chakabva – 43; Azmatullah Omarzai – 1/17, Brad Evans – 1/27)
Durban Qalandars – 110/2 (Andre Fletcher – 50*, Hazratullah Zazai – 49; Luke Jongwe – 2/19, Mohammad Nabi – 0/19)