Zimbabwe vs Cricket Web XI
5th ODI - Fardin Qayyumi CC
Scorecard
Commentary
Chris Butler continued his sensational form to finally inspire the Cricket Web XI to a commanding win over Zimbabwe. The Webheads sealed victory by 130 runs to complete a 5-0 series win. Butler was the central figure. The left-hander faced 134 balls to score 120 not out in a total of 294 for 6.
Goff chose to bat first but was met with early setbacks after disciplined bowling from the Zimbabwean openers. At 60-3, Fuller, the centurion from the last match came to wicket. He responded by rotating the strike clinically in a score of 22, then slashed the ball to point off the medium-paced bowling of Chigumbura.
The score was then 103-4 at the end of the 25th over. Enter captain Goff, having scored just 13 runs in his previous two innings in the series. Given his lack of form and the extreme pressure of the situation, the innings which he proceeded to play was even more exceptional in quality.
The next 14 overs produced 109 runs in a sensational eruption of batting form. Butler had been grafting for his first 62 balls to score 31 runs, but raced to his half-century off 79 balls. But Goff was even better. He raced to 50 from 41 balls, striking 7 boundaries in the process. He then smacked 3 more fours before perishing to a Rainsford slower ball.
Marching onward at great pace was Butler and he found good company in Alex Crampton. The two added 50 runs off the next 33 balls. A stroke of wicketkeeping brilliance dealt for Crampton, but Butler had reached his ton an over before and continued superbly until the end of the innings. Ultimately Butler scored 89 runs off the last 72 balls in his second ODI hundred.
In the defence of 294, the Webheads started slowly, but soon got into rhythm with the entry of Fuller to the attack. He continued his economical bowling with his best of the series, finishing with extraordinary figures of 10-2-16-1. Tom Halsey then forced the effort home with 4 wickets and Zimbabwe slumped to 164 all out.
Cricket Web XI 294-6 (50 overs)
CR Butler 120*, BJ Goff 65, AS Das 30; T Mupariwa 2-48, EC Rainsford 2-55
Zimbabwe 164 all out (41.1 overs)
V Sibanda/GM Strydom 40; TC Halsey 4-23, DM Kennett 2-31
Cricket Web XI won by 130 runs.
Won series 5-0.
Man of the Match: CR Butler
How OUT:
Cricket Web XI
DP Towns - full delivery, inside edge onto pad; lbw
AS Das - shuffled across stumps, attempted flick; bowled legstump
DA Kearsley - lofted uppishly into hands of midoff
CR Butler - not out
SE Fuller - slashed slower ball to point; caught well
BJ Goff - swung across slower ball; lbw
A Crampton - beaten by sharp legcutter; stumped magnificently
TC Halsey - not out
Zimbabwe
TV Mufambisi - pushed at full delivery with movement away; caught 2nd slip
V Sibanda - attempted to cut googly; caught slip
CJ Chibhabha - gloved short, quick ball; caught gully
BRM Taylor - top-edged pull; caught 3rd man
GM Strydom - lofted slower ball to long-off; caught comfortably
HP Rinke - beaten by sharp offcutter; lbw
E Chigumbura - smashed on toe by yorker; lbw
GB Brent - ball pitched legstump, spun past bat; bowled offstump
T Mupariwa - charged slow legbreak, beaten by spin; stumped sensationally
P Utseya - not out
EC Rainsford - bowled through gate by sharp googly