Off-spinner Wessly Madhevere turned the second One-dayer between Zimbabwe and Netherlands on its head, by picking up a hat-trick in the 43rd over, becoming the third player from his country to achieve this feat.
Zimbabwe had been bowled out for 271 in 49.2 overs, but like with the first ODI, drama unfolded in the second innings. The backbone of Zimbabwe’s happened to be a 104-run stand between Sean Williams (77) and Clive Madande (52). For the Netherlands, Shariz Ahmad starred with 5-43, his first five-for in ODI cricket.
At one stage, the Netherlands were cruising towards the target of 272, with Tom Cooper (74) and M’x O’Dowd (81) going great guns. However, a run-out sent Cooper packing in the 33rd over, and Sikandar Raza accounted f’r O’Dowd in the 41st over.
Still, at the start of the 44th over, the equation was in favour of the Netherlands, as the tourists needed 59 runs from 42 balls with seven wickets in hand.
Madhevere, however, changed the course of the game with the first three balls of his over.
Colin Ackermann was stumped by Madande, Teja Nidamanuru was bowled off the very next ball and Paul van Meekeren suffered the same fate off the third delivery.
This meant that Madhevere had become just the third Zimbabwean to achieve an ODI hat-trick, and the Netherlands had slipped from 213-3 to 213-6.
Eddo Brandes and Prosper Utseya are the only other Zimbabwe players with an ODI hat-trick.
The hat-trick proved crucial as Zimbabwe won a thrilling contest by just one run — a run-out off the final delivery sealing their victory.
Brief scores:
Zimbabwe 271 all out in 49.2 overs (Sean Williams 77, Clive Madande 52, Wessly Madhevere 43, Craig Ervine 39; Shariz Ahmad 5-43, Colin Ackermann 2-51) beat Netherlands 270 all out in 50 overs (Max O’Dowd 81, Tom Cooper 74, Scott Edwards 36; Wessly Madhevere 3-36, Sikandar Raza 3-39) by one run.
