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Zimbabwe Chevrons claimed a hard-fought win over the Nashua Dolphins at Harare Sports Club yesterday - not enough to lift them off the foot of the MTN Domestic Championship table, but enough to keep them mathematically within range of the semi-finals should their remaining matches go the right way. Dolphins won the toss and elected to bat, scoring 182/9 as Zimbabwe's bowlers did a good job of containing them. Kyle Smit scored 46, while Prosper Utseya took 2/31 as the home side took advantage of a pitch that had some extra life in it, courtesy of some rain earlier in the day.

Batting conditions improved as the pitch dried out, giving Chevrons an advantage as the team batting second, but in typically Zimbabwean style they almost blew their chance as early losses left them on 78/4 at one point. A fifth-wicket stand of 67 between Brendan Taylor (44) and Stuart Matsikenyeri (58*) gave the home side enough of a grounding to see them home. Johann Louw was the best of the Dolphins with the ball, claiming 4/29, but that wasn't enough to save the match for the visitors.

Scorecard below the cut. Chevrons' next match is on Sunday (2nd March), against the Lions at Harare Sports Club.
Nashua Dolphins 182/9 (45/45 overs; Smit 46, Utseya 2/31), Zimbabwe Chevrons 185/7 (44.1/45 overs; Matsikenyeri 58*, Louw 4/29). Chevrons win by 3 wickets.

Dolphins innings (target: 186 runs from 45 overs) 
K Smit 	        run out (Matsikenyeri/Taibu) 	        46 
I Khan 	        c Price b Muzarabani 	                17 
R Gobind 	c Masakadza b Mupariwa 	                0 
JC Kent 	c Masakadza b Chibhabha 	        20 
D Smit  	b Price 	                        22 
DA Miller 	run out (Matsikenyeri/Taibu) 	        17 
P de Bruyn 	not out 	                        26 
M van Vuuren 	lbw b Utseya 	                        12 
J Louw 	        c Masakadza b Maruma 	                10 
AC Thomas 	c & b Utseya 	                        0 
YA Abdullah 	not out 	                        10 
    Extras 	(w 2) 	                                2 					
    Total 	(9 wickets; 45 overs) 	                182 

Fall of wickets: 1-43 (Khan, 9.5 ov), 2-43 (Gobind, 12.1 ov), 
3-83 (Kent, 19.2 ov), 4-87 (K Smit, 20.4 ov), 5-122 (Miller, 28.6 ov), 
6-124 (D Smit, 29.4 ov), 7-148 (van Vuuren, 37.3 ov), 
8-163 (Louw, 40.6 ov), 9-163 (Thomas, 41.2 ov)

Bowling 	O 	M 	R 	W 	Econ 	
T Mupariwa 	8 	2 	37 	1 	4.62 	(2w)
T Muzarabani 	6 	0 	20 	1 	3.33 	
CJ Chibhabha 	5 	0 	22 	1 	4.40 	
P Utseya 	9 	0 	31 	2 	3.44 	
RW Price 	8 	0 	27 	1 	3.37 	
T Maruma 	9 	0 	45 	1 	5.00 	


Zimbabwe innings (45 overs maximum)  
H Masakadza 	c K Smit b Louw 	                9 
T Taibu 	c D Smit b Louw 	                8 
CJ Chibhabha 	lbw b Louw 	                        12 
BRM Taylor 	b de Bruyn 	                        44 
RW Chakabva 	b Thomas 	                        13 
S Matsikenyeri 	not out 	                        58 
P Utseya 	c Miller b Thomas 	                10 
T Maruma 	lbw b Louw 	                        1 
RW Price 	not out 	                        9 
    Extras 	(b 1, lb 5, w 14, nb 1) 	        21 
    Total 	(7 wickets; 44.1 overs) 	        185 

Did not bat: T Mupariwa, T Muzarabani

Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Taibu, 3.2 ov), 2-29 (Masakadza, 7.3 ov), 
3-43 (Chibhabha, 11.2 ov), 4-78 (Matsikenyeri, 28.2 ov), 
5-145 (Taylor, 36.4 ov), 6-162 (Utseya, 39.1 ov), 
7-167 (Maruma, 40.1 ov)

Bowling 	O 	M 	R 	W 	Econ 	
YA Abdullah 	9 	0 	36 	0 	4.00 	(5w)
J Louw 	        9 	0 	29 	4 	3.22 	(5w)
JC Kent 	3.1 	0 	16 	0 	5.05 	(1nb)
AC Thomas 	9 	1 	29 	2 	3.22 	
D Smit 	        6 	0 	26 	0 	4.33 	(1w)
M van Vuuren 	4 	0 	19 	0 	4.75 	
P de Bruyn 	4 	0 	24 	1 	6.00 	(2w)