A sparkling innings of 78 not out from Brian Bennett earned Northerns a Duckworth-Lewis victory by 41 runs over Southerns at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
Southerns won the toss and decided to bat, but they made a poor start.
In the first nine overs they lost three wickets for 43, two to Takudzwa Chataira, Joylord Gumbie having scored 21 of the runs.
At this point Sikandar Raza joined Tony Munyonga and in 16 overs they put together a partnership of 76.
Munyonga was caught at the wicket off Ainsley Ndlovu for 42 off 61 balls, while two balls later the new man, Ryan Burl, sent a return catch -- 119 for five.
Again, there was a rescue partnership, Johnathan Campbell playing an aggressive innings in scoring 35 off 32 balls in a 52-run partnership with Raza.
After 40 overs the score had reached 190 for seven, and Raza began to accelerate, helped by Wellington Masakadza, who was in very aggressive mood.
They put on 54 in six overs before Chataira returned and had Masakadza caught for 27 off 14 balls, scoring off practically every delivery he faced.
Raza was ninth out, having made 84 off 105 balls, with a six and five fours.
The innings closed in the penultimate over for 267.
Chataira in 9.4 overs took four wickets, but they cost him 78 runs, while Blessing Muzarabani was the most economical bowler with two for 37 in his 10 overs.
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Northerns began their innings with some brilliant hitting from Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, who raced to 37 off 23 balls, with a six and six fours, before Raza caught him off the bowling of Tinotenda Maposa to make it 57 for one after six overs.
Dion Myers went for one, but Bennett settled in with the opener Takudzwanaishe Kaitano, who was playing a responsible innings.
The partnership between these two took Northerns into the better position, as they added 78 in 14 overs, with Bennett scoring most of the runs, before Kaitano was lbw to Tapiwa Mufudza for 47, scored off 60 balls.
Bennett was by then in full cry, hitting superbly, and with Tashinga Musekiwa (14 not out) as his partner took the score to 186 for three in 32 overs. At this point bad light stopped play, with Northerns needing another 82 runs to win the match in 18 overs.
There was no resumption, so Bennett lost his chance of a possible century -- his 78 came off 65 balls and he hit two sixes and 10 fours.
Three bowlers took a wicket each, while Masakadza had a tight spell with the ball as his eight overs cost only 34 runs.
Brief score:
Southerns: 267 all out in 48.4 overs (Sikandar Raza 84, Tony Munyonga 42, Johnathan Campbell 35; Takudzwa Chataira 4/78, Blessing Muzarabani 2/37, Ainsley Ndlovu 2/40)
Northerns: 186-3 in 32 overs (Brian Bennett 78*, Takudzwanashe Kaitano 47, Tinashe Kamunhukamwe 37; Tapiwa Mufudza 1/16, Victor Nyauchi 1/36, Tinotenda Maposa 1/43)
Result: Northerns won by 41 runs (Duckworth-Lewis) -- Zim Cricket.
