Zimbabwe had a thrilling two-wicket victory over Pakistan In the third and final T20I at Queens Sports Club, he denied the visitors a series clean sweep. Chasing 133, Zimbabwe reached the target with only one ball thanks to an inclined opening shot. Brian Bennett.
Zimbabwe restrict Pakistan to 132
Choosing to bat first, Pakistan posted 132/7 in 20 overs. The innings struggled to gain momentum as Zimbabwe’s bowlers kept the batting in check. Goalkeeper Agha Salman stood out with 32-32 balls, while Tayyab Tahir (21-14) and Arafat Minhas (22-26) made useful contributions. Zimbabwe’s bowlers shared the spoils, with Blessing Muzarabani (2/25) outstanding.
Zimbabwe reach the finish line after a middle-order collapse
Zimbabwe’s reply started with Tadiwanashe Marumani taking 6 off 15 balls but regular wickets kept the hosts under pressure. Brian Bennett anchored the chase by bringing up 43 off 35 balls. The hosts weakened in the middle, but reached the finish line with two caps and one ball left in hand.
Abbas Afridi was the pick of the Pakistani bowlers claiming 3/24 and Jahandad Khan claiming two wickets.
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Zimbabwe beat Pakistan by 2 wickets in 3rd T20I
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“We wanted to win the series, but unfortunately we couldn’t. There was a desire to beat Pakistan and to finish with a win is incredibly satisfying. We had a tough tour but we supported the lads and it was heartening to see them win today. We don’t want to dwell on the past, if we did, we wouldn’t be able to win today. We wanted to get that first loss out of the system, we had a worse game and we wanted to get that out of the system. Today I thought the bowling attack did really well to restrict them to 132. Winning captain Sikandar Raza said at the post-match presentation.
Despite the defeat, Pakistan won the three-match series 2-1, dominated by team performances in the first two games. Pakistan cruised to a 57-run victory in the opener, followed by a ten-wicket demolition in the second T20I. However, Zimbabwe’s spirited effort in the final match earned them a well-deserved consolation win.
