Canada celebrate a wicket (ZCU picture)

Canada lost to Zimbabwe A for the second time as the team tours Zimbabwe in preparation for their upcoming ICC World Cricket League tournament, but with a much improved performance. Canada got within one wicket of victory as a strong performance in the field allowed them to nearly defend a sub-par batting performance.
The team was again captained by Hamza Tariq, as the full squad including captain Jimmy Hansra has not yet assembled. They batted first, and again got off to a poor start, losing both openers for 15.Umar Nawaz (29) and Usman Limbada (30) staged a recovery until a run out broke their partnership. Dutta (33) and Soraine (32) made useful runs, but Canada mustered just 170/9 from their fifty overs. Mupariwa led the bowling with 4/28.
Canada needed to bowl well to defend an underpar total, and Cecil Pervez lead the way with a wicket in the first over, followed by another in the fifth. Dhindsa had Matsikenyeri caught behind to reduce Zimbabwe to 6/3. Ervine and Burt took the score to 21 before Pervez struck again, 21/4 and Pervez 3/7 from six overs. Ervine and Maruma staged a recovery, putting on 60 before Desai had Maruma caught from a top-edged sweep- 82/5 from 25 overs. Pervez returned to the attack and took his fourth wicket, Dutta had Jongwe caught behind, and Dhaliwal made the critical breakthrough having Ervine (46) caught at slip by Wijeratne – 110/8. Utseya and Mupariwa resisted strongly and a half-century partnership took them to within 11 runs of victory before Desai had Mupariwa caught. Utseya (36*) however guided Zimbabwe to victory, hitting a six with the scores level. Pervez had the excellent figures of 4/18 from 10 overs, and Dutta conceded just 22 from his 10.
Scorecard