By Agencies
Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams hit his third Test century to set up a 10-wicket victory inside two days as Afghanistan’s batting crumbled for the second time in Abu Dhabi.
Williams’ watchful innings of 105 enabled Zimbabwe to build a first-innings advantage of 119 on the second day, despite a six-wicket haul for Afghanistan spinner Hamza Hotak in only his second Test.
That lead proved decisive as Zimbabwe’s bowlers dismissed their opponents for 135, with teenage opener Ibrahim Zadran’s knock of 76 ensuring that Afghanistan at least avoided an innings defeat.
With Zimbabwe’s lead only minimal, Regis Chakabva (44) joined Williams in a key stand of 75 for the seventh wicket before Blessin Muzarabani (12 not out) gave just enough support for the captain to reach three figures shortly after lunch.
Williams was ninth man out, clipping Hotak into the hands of midwicket before the left-armer (6-79) claimed his sixth victim later in the same over by bowling Victor Nyauchi for a duck to end the Zimbabwe innings for 250.
Williams was ninth man out, clipping Hotak into the hands of midwicket before the left-armer (6-79) claimed his sixth victim later in the same over by bowling Victor Nyauchi for a duck to end the Zimbabwe innings for 250.
Nyauchi (3-30) immediately dented Afghanistan’s hopes of making inroads on the deficit, removing three top-order batsmen cheaply as they slumped to 21-5 in their second innings, with Williams and Muzarabani (2-14) picking up a wicket apiece.
It looked as though Afghanistan might succeed in taking the match into a third day as Hotak (21no) dug in alongside Zadran in an eighth-wicket partnership of 48 that eventually wiped out the arrears.
But Zadran’s three-hour innings came to an end when he edged a widish ball from Donald Tiripano (3-23) behind and the same bowler rapidly cleaned up the last two wickets to leave his side chasing just 17 for victory.
Openers Prince Masvaure and Kevin Kasuza knocked those off in 20 deliveries as Zimbabwe took a 1-0 lead in the series, with the second Test starting on March 10 at the same venue.
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