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ZIMBABWE will bank on openers Ben Curran and Brian Bennett to bring back stability when they face New Zealand at Queens Sports Club, in Bulawayo for the Test series.

The 16-man squad announced by Zimbabwe Cricket Yesterday will see the Chevrons take on New Zealand from 30 July to 3 August and then August 7 to 11.

Curran makes a return after recovery from the fractured hand suffered during a practice game against South Africa in Arundel early June.

He was hit by a Kagiso Rabada delivery in the fifth over of Zimbabwe’s innings and retired hurt on 4, before an x-ray confirmed the fracture.

He has been out since then.

Bennett on the other hand suffered concussion and missed part of the South Africa series, and the New Zealand test series marks his return to the longer version of the game.

The two top order have already shown that together, they can give Zimbabwe a firm foundation regardless of format.

Curran is brother to England internationals Sam and Tom, and he made his debut for Zimbabwe in December 2024.

He has played six Tests, including one against England, six ODIs while he remains uncapped in T20.

As the New Zealand test series approaches, he will carry part of the burden at a time the Chevrons have been humiliated in the T20I tri-series, losing three matches in a row, against South Africa (twice) and New Zealand, crashing out of the tri-series in the process.

In the 7 wicket defeat to South Africa (T20I) on Sunday, the Chevrons performance raised a lot of dust, with some questioning selection.

For the test, four changes to the Zimbabwe side that featured in the recent Test series against South Africa have been made.

Curran is joined in the squad by Sikandar Raza, Roy Kaia and Tanunurwa Makoni, with the quartet of Takudzwanashe Kaitano, Prince Masvaure, Wessly Madhevere and Kundai Matigimu making way. Bennett replaced Dion Myers.

The team will be led by Craig Ervine, with experienced campaigners Sean Williams and Blessing Muzarabani providing key support in the batting and bowling departments respectively.

There was no place for Brendan Taylor, whose three-and-a-half-year ban for breaching the ICC anti-corruption code ends on July 25 and was aiming to return for this series.

Richard Ngarava, who also had a back injury and only returned for the T20I is also not part of the squad.

The upcoming series will mark the first Test meeting between Zimbabwe and New Zealand since July-August 2016, when the visitors claimed a 2-0 series win at the same venue in Bulawayo.

 ZIMBABWE SQUAD FOR TEST SERIES VERSUS NEW ZEALAND

Craig Ervine (Captain), Brian Bennett, Tanaka Chivanga, Ben Curran, Trevor Gwandu, Roy Kaia, Tanun-urwa Makoni, Clive Madande, Vincent Masekesa, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Muzarabani, Newman Nyamhuri, Sikandar Raza, Tafadzwa Tsiga, Nicholas Welch, Sean Williams. — Zimpapers Sports Hub/ ZimCricket / Cspncricinfo.com

Taijul Islam snared five wickets for the 15th time in a Test innings to lead Bangladesh to a series-levelling 101-run victory over the West Indies on the fourth evening of the second and final test at Sabina Park on Tuesday.

After Jaker Ali’s test-best innings of 91 lifted the tourists to 268 all out in their second innings and left the home team with a daunting victory target of 287, left-arm spinner Islam broke the back of the Caribbean side’s effort with five for 50 as they were dismissed for 185 in the day’s final session.

Fast bowler Nahid Rana, whose maiden five-wicket haul in the first innings pulled Bangladesh back into contention, had the satisfaction of administering the final rites when he yorked last man Shamar Joseph for his only wicket of the innings.

“It’s a great feeling to win a test match abroad which we don’t often do and all the boys really put in a tremendous effort,” said player-of-the-match Islam.

Seamers Taskin Ahmed and Hasan Mahmud took two wickets each with Taskin emerging as the leading wicket-taker in the brief series with 11 victims to his name.

Kavem Hodge topscored for the West Indies with 55, while captain Kraigg Brathwaite played with unusual adventure at the top of the order in contributing 43 off 63 deliveries.

But they lost wickets at regular intervals and eventually succumbed in just 50 overs as Bangladesh swiftly avenged the 201-run mauling they endured in the first Test in Antigua a week earlier.

“We wanted to be positive and I thought we started well but obviously we couldn’t carry it through to the end of the day,” said a rueful Brathwaite.

This was Bangladesh’s first test victory in the West Indies since their 2-0 sweep over a depleted Caribbean side in 2009.

Earlier Ali’s belligerent innings, which occupied 106 deliveries and was embellished by eight fours and five sixes, tilted the balance heavily in favour of Bangladesh as the highest successful run-chase in a Test at Sabina Park was the 212 achieved by the West Indies over Sri Lanka in 2003.

Such was the extent of the 26-year-old right-hander’s dominance of the morning that he contributed 62 of the 75 runs added by the tourists after resuming at the overnight position of 193-5.

Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach took three wickets each for the West Indies, Joseph ending Ali’s quest for a maiden Test hundred when he was last out, caught at deep midwicket a half-hour before lunch. – SuperSport.

PRINCE Matore wants to close the year with a League and Cup double by winning the inaugural Champions of Champions tournament set to take place in Gweru this weekend.

The tournament will be held at the Bata Stadium on Saturday and Sunday.

The four teams promoted into the Premier Soccer League – Scottland FC, Kwekwe United, ZPC Hwange, and Triangle United – will clash in the maiden competition.

Matore guided Kwekwe United to success in the Central Region Division One championship race.

“This will be a meeting of regional champions and we want to be the champions and rule everyone.

“We are fully focused on winning the knockout competition.

“We know it won’t be easy but we are confident in our abilities and are looking forward to the challenge,” said Matore.

Matore urged Kwekwe United fans to come out and support the team over the weekend.

“We will need their energy and enthusiasm to drive us on and help us achieve our goal.

“We are all excited about the prospect of winning the competition and we hope that our fans will be able to join us in celebrating what we hope will be a successful weekend,” said Matore.

In the first semi-final, Kwekwe United will face Triangle United while Scotland FC will take on ZPC Hwange in the second semi-final.

TEAM Zimbabwe appears to be in high spirits at the ongoing 2024 International Junior Science Olympiad Competition in Romania.

The six-member team expected to bring home some silverware.

The team, made up of former three students from St Johns College, Hellenic Academy and Arundel School, left for the European country earlier this week for the annual competition slated for December 2-12 in Bucharest, Romania.

The contest will comprise three tests in physics, chemistry and biology, each of which lasts between three and four hours.

The theoretical portion consists of two tests: a multiple choice questionnaire consisting of 30 questions, and a theoretical test.

The practical portion consists of three laboratory examinations, one for each field.

Zimbabwe is currently being represented by Munotida Mundira (St Johns College), Munotida Munhemo, Rutendo Kufakunesu (Arundel), Xander Stevenson and Joshua Carlise (both Hellenic Academy).

Speaking from Romania, Carola Bogezi described the mood in the Zimbabwean camp as upbeat.

“We are particularly excited that these young students, all aged 15 and below, have shown great determination, hard work and stamina over the last two school terms,” said Bogezi.