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4th T20I: Zimbabwe beat Pakistan in thriller for consolation win

4th T20I: Zimbabwe beat Pakistan in thriller for consolation win

4th T20I: Zimbabwe beat Pakistan in thriller for consolation win

Zimbabwe grabbed a consolation two-wicket victory over Pakistan in a thrilling Twenty20 international at Bulawayo on Thursday, with tailender Richard Ngarava getting them over the line with one ball to spare.

Pakistan, seeking a series sweep after winning the first two matches by 57 runs and 10 wickets respectively, rested several key players and scored 132-7 in 20 overs.

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Zimbabwe responded strongly initially, with opener Brian Bennett scoring 43, but the Pakistan bowlers hit back, and the loss of home captain Sikandar Raza (19) spelt trouble.

Needing 12 runs from the last over for victory, Tinotenda Maposa struck a four, a six, and a single to level the scores with three balls remaining.

Tashinga Musekiwa was caught by Tayyab Tahir off the bowling of Jahandad Khan to increase the tension at the Queens Sports Club.

Ngarava then became the hero, striking the penultimate ball back towards Khan. It hit the stumps at the non-striker's end and deflected to mid-off for the winning run as Zimbabwe reached 133-8.

Top scorer Bennett said: "We have got Afghanistan from next week in all formats, so it is nice to win and establish some momentum."

Pakistan skipper Salman Agha reserved special praise for batter Saim Ayub and wrist spinner Sufiyan Muqeem after the two white-ball series victories.

"I think Saim and Sufiyan have long futures ahead and will serve Pakistan for many years. Saim has been playing all three formats and doing really well. Sufiyan too."

Bennett hit a six and six fours in his knock as he took Zimbabwe to 73-2 before wickets started to fall regularly.

Agha was the leading Pakistan scorer with a 32 that included three fours, while Blessing Muzarabani took two wickets for Zimbabwe.

Pakistan, who also beat Zimbabwe 2-1 in the one-day international series, now head to South Africa for an eight-match all-formats tour that starts on December 10 with a Twenty20 international.

Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

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Gautam Sodhi

Meet Gautam, a seasoned journalist with over eight years of experience in covering the world of sports. I am a self-proclaimed cricket fanatic, having a deep passion for the game a...Read More