A brutal 70 from 39 balls, including 8 sixes, by Dan Douthwaite plus a pair of half-centuries from Tom Bevan and Kiran Carlson saw Glamorgan to 321 from 49.5 overs in their one-day friendly against Southerns at Harare Sports Club. In reply, Southerns were dismissed for 262 as Glamorgan won by 59 runs (writes Andrew Hignell).
After winning the toss in the 50 overs per side contest, Tom Bevan and Sam Northeast opened the batting for the tourists with the former starting with a fluent off-drive for four against Blessing Muzarabani, the Zimbabwe Test bowler, whilst the latter unfurled a pair of cover drives against Tendai Chatara. Bevan also on-drove Muzarabani to long-on before flicking Chatara to fine-leg for another four. The seamer was also square-cut and cover-driven by Northeast before Bevan punched Muzarabani off the back foot through extra-cover, followed by a rasping pulll for four to see Glamorgan to the fifty-mark in the ninth over.
Northeast flayed Chatara over the slips before the left-arm spin of Ainsley Ndlovu was introduced in the twelfth over. With the total on 62, Tanaka Chivanga ended the opening stand by bowling Northeast with a full length delivery. Ten runs later Chris Cooke was lured down the pitch by Ndlovu and stumped by wicket-keeper Clive Madande as David Lloyd made his way to the middle. With the leg-spin of Brandon Mavuta having also been introduced, Bevan cover drove him for four before Lloyd guided Ndlovu to the ropes at fine-leg. Bevan then lofted Mavuta over long-on for six but with the total on 92, Lloyd departed l.b.w. as he tried to reverse-sweep Ndlovu. With KIran Carlson as his new partner, Bevan completed his fifty from 56 balls - as well as bringing up the hundred - by cover driving Mavuta, with Carlson also straight-driving Ndlovu for four before drilling Mavuta through the covers.
Bevan swept Ndlovu for four but later in the over, and with the total on 123, the young tyro slapped the spinner to backward point where Innocent Kaia completed a smart catch with Bevan departing for 60 and Ndlovu claiming his third wicket. Billy Root began by off-driving Ndlovu for four before Carlson pulled the spinner to square-leg for four, followed by a lofted drive to long-on, plus a vicious pull to square-leg against Mavuta. Root then brought up the 150 by drilling Ndlovu through extra-cover but the ahow of aggression prompted the return of Chatara who removed Root with the total on 162 as the southpaw top-edged a pull into the wicket-keeper's gloves.
Having been joined by Dan Douthwaite, Carlson responded by lofting Jonathan Campbell over extra-cover for six before pulling the next ball for another boundary. Douthwaite opened his acocunt by harpooning Chatara over deep mid-wicket for six, followed by another maximum as he straight-drove Campbell over long-on. Carlson then swept Campbell to mid-wicket and completed his forthright fifty from 54 balls before drilling Chivanga through mid-off to bring up the 200. He continued his assault by pulling the pace bowler to the ropes at square-leg but was bowled by the next delivery for 59 as Glamorgan lost their sixth wicket on 205.
With Timm van der Gugten as his new partner, Douthwaite continued to make hay in the Harare sunshine as he plonked Chivanga over mid-wicket for a huge six before biffing Luke Jongwe over long-off for another maximum. The Dutchman then swatted Chivanga to long-on for four before Douthwaite drilled the seamer for successive sixes over long-off and long-on to complete his fifty from 26 balls. Van der Gugten also lofted Chatara for six over long-off before being caught at long-on attempting to do the same against Mavuta.
Next over, Andrew Salter departed l.b.w. to Chatara with Glamorgan on 272-8 in the 45th over but Douthwaite continued to clear the ropes as he clubbed Chatara over long-on before later in the over striking his eighth six with another muscular blow in the same direction. But next over, he miscued a ball from Mavuta straight back into the spinner's hands and departed for 70 from 39 balls. Prem Sisodiya and Jamie McIlroy saw Glamorgan to the 300 mark in the 47th over with the latter also straight driving Jongwe for four before being stumped in the final over as Glmaorgan ended on 321.
McIlroy was swiftly back in the acion as he trapped Innocent Kaia l.b.w. with his fourth ball. The left-handed Nkosana Mpofu then clipped van der Gugten to mid-wicket before Chamu Chibhabha did the same to McIlroy. However, the bowler gained revenge as, in his third over, he bowled Mpofu as Gary Ballance became Chibhabha's new partner. The latter punched van der Gugten off the back foot through cover point before Ballance opened his account with a clip to the ropes at square-leg against the Dutchman, followed next ball with a deft glance to fine-leg for four as Southerns reached 45-2 at the end of the tenth over as Sisodiya and Douthwaite entered the attack.
Ballance swept Sisdiya for four to square-leg before drilling him over extra-cover for four. The former Yorkshire batter then reverse-swept Sisodiya for another four whilst Chibhabha greeted the introduction of Salter's off-spin by driving him to the ropes at long-off. Ballance also lofted Carlson over long-on for six before cover-driving him for another four as he completed his fifty from 44 balls. Chibhabha also hoisted Carlson over mid-wicket for four en route to a 68-ball half-century before Ballance drove Lloyd over mid-off for four. However, Lloyd ended the stand as next ball Ballance, on 62, attempted to repeat the stroke but holed out to Douthwaite at mid-off. Next over, Salter trapped Chibhabha l.b.w as Southerns slipped to 139-4.
Madande and Campbell steadied the ship with a series of more watchful strokes, before Campbell upped the gears by striking Douthwaite for three successive fours. However, with the total on 189 Sisodiya bowled Madande with a beauty. Campbell continued to use the long handle as he lofted van der Gugten over mid-off for four before twice hoisting him to the ropes at square-leg as Southerns reached 200 in the 37th over. Witgh the equation being 111 from 12 overs, Campbell reached his assertive fifty from 38 balls before being snared by Sisodiya as the left-handed batter holed out to Northeast at long-on.
The left-arm spinner struck again in his next over as he bowled Luke Jongwe before Lloyd trapped Mavuta l.b.w. with a full length delivery as Southerns slipped to 232-8 . Ndlovu responded by scooping Lloyd for four to fine-leg followed by a reverse-sweep for four against Sisodiya. After edging Sisodiya to third man for four he swatted a full toss from Lloyd through mid-wicket to bring up the 250. But nine runs later Chivanga departed as he swatted a full toss from Salter into the hands of Northeast at long-on before van der Gugten returned to end the contest by having Muzarabani caught at backward point with the home side all out for 262.