Zambia Beat Lesotho by 7 Wickets — Zahirbhai and Javid Patel Take Eight Wickets as Lesotho Lose 9 for 12
Lesotho were 46 for 1 with Mohmed Duvesh Patel on 38. Then Zahirbhai Patel (4 for 4) and Javid Patel (4 for 11) took eight wickets, and Lesotho were all out for 58. Zambia lost three wickets in the chase but won inside eight overs for their first win of the tournament.
For eight overs this looked like a reasonable start for Lesotho. They lost Lerotholi Gabriel to the first ball of the match, lbw to Ismail Kara, but Mohmed Duvesh Patel hit four fours and two sixes, and he and Ajaz Patel took them to 46 for 1. Then Zahirbhai Patel had Duvesh Patel caught for 38, and Lesotho lost their last nine wickets for 12 runs in just over five overs. Six batters made 0, and they were all out for 58 in 13.4 overs.
Zambia had lost their first two matches, and their chase wasn't perfect either: they were 36 for 3. Jakir Patel and Vasmiakram Chand then finished it. Zambia won by 7 wickets with 74 balls to spare.
Match Summary
| Lesotho | 58 all out (13.4 overs) — Mohmed Duvesh Patel 38 (32), Chachole Tlali 8, Ajaz Patel 7 (23) |
| Zambia bowling | Zahirbhai Patel 3-0-4-4, Javid Patel 3.4-0-11-4, Ismail Kara 2-0-7-1, Ayaz Dadabhai 2-0-6-0 |
| Zambia | 61/3 (7.4 overs) — Jakir Patel 22* (17), Vasmiakram Chand 14* (10), Ismail Kara 12 (8), Zahirbhai Patel 10 |
| Lesotho bowling | Ts'episo Chaoana 3-1-19-2, Inshaf Farook 2-0-16-1 |
| Collapse | Lesotho from 46/1 (8.1 overs) to 58 all out (13.4 overs) — nine wickets for 12 runs |
| Result | Zambia won by 7 wickets (with 74 balls remaining) |
| Player of the Match | Zahirbhai Patel — 3-0-4-4 |
| Toss | Lesotho, chose to bat |
| Venue | Nigeria Cricket Federation Oval 2, Abuja — 8th Match |
Zahirbhai Patel took the two wickets that mattered most: Duvesh Patel, caught by Javid Patel, and then Ajaz Patel, caught behind by Yambayamba for 7 from 23 balls. Javid Patel bowled Maaz Khan and Gladwin Thamae with consecutive balls, Zahirbhai bowled Lefulere Monanthane, and Inshaf Farook was run out. In the space of 13 balls Lesotho went from 55 for 2 to 58 for 8. Javid Patel bowled Malei Khauta to end it. The two Patels bowled 6.4 overs between them for 15 runs and eight wickets.
The chase was less tidy. Ts'episo Chaoana had Javid Patel lbw for 0 and bowled Zahirbhai Patel, and Kara was caught for 12. But Jakir Patel hit two fours and a six in 22 not out, and Chand hit the runs off quickly at the other end.
Duvesh Patel made 38 of Lesotho's 58. Of the other ten batters, Chachole Tlali's 8 was the top score. Lesotho had beaten Mozambique on the first day, but this was a collapse they will want to forget quickly. Chaoana, whose 3-1-19-2 was the best bowling of the chase, at least made Zambia work for a few overs.
Three overs, four runs, four wickets. Zahirbhai's first wicket, Duvesh Patel for 38, ended the only real innings of the match. After that, the batters coming in had no time to settle. He also made 10 with the bat in the chase. Javid Patel's 4 for 11 was nearly as good, but Zahirbhai took the wickets that started the collapse.
This match didn't have a CricIntel preview, so there is no prediction to grade. We'll have full analysis for the next encounter.
Zambia's first win leaves them with one win and two defeats, alongside Lesotho and Mozambique. Nigeria and Uganda are both unbeaten. With two days left in Abuja, the three teams on one win each are fighting for third place, and a margin like this one helps Zambia's net run rate considerably.
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