zimcricketnews.com

The newly-named Zimbabwe Chevrons lost their first match of the South African MTN Domestic Cricket Championship six wickets to the Chevrolet Warriors at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Sunday - giving Warriors thei first win of the series.

Chevrons won the toss and opted to bat first, and a half-century from Tatenda Taibu (52) helped the home side to 213/9 from their allotted 45 overs. The traditional top-order wobbles mean it was up to Taibu and Brendan Taylor in the mid-order to do the hard work, with their 52-run partnership for the fourth wicket being the highlight of the innings as Taibu treated Warriors' bowler Botha with contempt. The overall score would have been lower than Chevrons would have liked, though.

Warriors also wobbled early on, losing Davy Jacobs (10) to a catch by Sean Williams off Elton Chigumbura, caught by Sean Williams. From there, though, a 112-run stand for the second wicket between Smith and Arno Jacobs (68) put the visitors back on course. For Zimbabwe, left-arm spinner Raymond Price did his usual good work (1/27 from him 89 overs), but he did not get support from the other bowlers, allowing de Bruyn (37*) and Botha (27*) to lead the Warriors to victory in the 43rd over.

Not the best of starts for the Chevrons, then, but with another 11 matches to play there's plenty of time for them to make an impact.
Chevrons 213/9 (45/45 overs; Taibu 52, Theron 4/33), Warriors 215/4 (42.5/45 overs; Jacobs 68, Price 1/27). Warriors win by 6 wickets.

Full scorecard below the cut. Next match in this series: Titans v Chevrons, Benoni, 12 February.

Zimbabwe innings (45 overs maximum)
V Sibanda	c Meyer b de Bruyn	        10
H Masakadza	b Tsotsobe	                19
SC Williams	lbw b Botha	                26
T Taibu	        c Smith b Peterson	        52
BRM Taylor	c Smith b Peterson	        32
E Chigumbura	b Theron	                7
RW Chakabva	b Theron	                17
AG Cremer	c Peterson b Theron	        5
GB Brent	c A Jacobs b Theron	        8
RW Price	not out	                        12
T Muzarabani	not out	                        3
    Extras	(lb 5, w 17)	                22
    Total	(9 wickets; 45 overs)	        213

Fall of wickets: 1-19 (Sibanda, 6.1 ov), 2-42 (Masakadza, 13.4 ov), 
3-89 (Williams, 21.4 ov), 4-141 (Taibu, 32.6 ov), 
5-163 (Taylor, 38.1 ov), 6-170 (Chigumbura, 39.6 ov), 
7-188 (Cremer, 41.3 ov), 8-189 (Chakabva, 41.6 ov), 
9-200 (Brent, 43.2 ov)

Bowling	        O	M	R	W	Econ	
LL Tsotsobe	5	1	27	1	5.40	(2w)
S Mjekula	7	1	28	0	4.00	
Z de Bruyn	8	0	44	1	5.50	(2w)
J Theron	7	0	33	4	4.71	(4w)
J Botha	        9	0	44	1	4.88	(2w)
RJ Peterson	9	0	32	2	3.55	(2w)


Warriors innings (target: 214 runs from 45 overs)
DJ Jacobs	c Williams b Chigumbura	        10
MBA Smith	run out (Taibu/Cremer)	        47
A Jacobs	c & b Price	                68
HD Ackerman	c Williams b Cremer	        13
Z de Bruyn	not out	                        37
J Botha	        not out	                        27
    Extras	(lb 5, w 7, nb 1)	        13
    Total	(4 wickets; 42.5 overs)	        215

Did not bat: L Meyer, LL Tsotsobe, S Mjekula, J Theron, RJ Peterson 

Fall of wickets: 1-15 (DJ Jacobs, 2.6 ov), 2-127 (Smith, 28.4 ov), 
3-145 (A Jacobs, 33.2 ov), 4-160 (Ackerman, 35.3 ov)

Bowling	        O	M	R	W	Econ	
E Chigumbura	8.5	1	51	1	5.77	(1nb, 3w)
GB Brent	8	0	28	0	3.50	(1w)
T Muzarabani	8	0	32	0	4.00	(2w)
RW Price	9	0	27	1	3.00	(1w)
AG Cremer	8	0	65	1	8.12	
H Masakadza	1	0	7	0	7.00