THE second season of the Zim Afro T10 tournament witnessed high drama and top-class cricket as the Joburg Bangla Tigers and Cape Town Samp Army booked their places in the grand final scheduled for Sunday at Harare Sports Club.
In the first Qualifier, Harare Bolts posted a challenging total of 124/2 in their 10 overs, buoyed by a brilliant 61* off just 24 balls from captain Dasun Shanaka.
However, the in-form Tigers batting line-up proved too hot to handle as Mohammad Shahzad smashed an unbeaten 64 off 25 balls to power his side to a comfortable seven-wicket victory and a spot in the final.
The Eliminator match saw Cape Town Samp Army easily overcome the challenge posed by NYS Lagos.
Opting to bat first, Lagos could only muster 88/8 in their 10 overs, with Salman Irshad and Rohan Mustafa sharing five wickets between them. In reply, Mustafa led Samp Army’s chase with an unbeaten 60 to secure an eight-wicket win and a place in Qualifier 2.
The Second Qualifier was another one-sided affair as Samp Army brushed aside early tournament favourites Harare Bolts. Batting first, Bolts struggled to 98/6 in their 10 overs, with Amir Hamza’s 3/9 proving the difference.
Samp Army then chased down the target with nine wickets in hand and 2.4 overs to spare, courtesy of a brisk 46 from Brian Bennett and an unbeaten 29 from Jack Taylor.
The comprehensive victories for Joburg Bangla Tigers and Cape Town Samp Army have set the stage for a mouthwatering final on Sunday.
Both teams have displayed exceptional form throughout the tournament.
