Amir Hamza picks up the last two wickets to finish with a top figure of 6 for 75
Innings Zimbabwe 250 (Williams 105, Chakabva 44, Raza 43, Hamza 6-75) ahead Afghanistan 131 (Zazai 37, Muzarabani 4-48) with 119 runs
Sean Williams scored his third try – second in consecutive Tests and second in captaincy – as Zimbabwe finished 250 to 119 runs in Abu Dhabi against Afghanistan. Williams reached the milestone 15 minutes after lunch with a single-legged square off his 169th ball, but had five more deliveries before sending Amir Hamza straight to midwicket to finish. Williams now earns an average of 80.5 as the captain of the Zimbabwe Test.
Although Afghanistan have fallen behind, having managed just 131 runs in the first innings, they would have been pleased with the progress on the second morning. The left-arm spinner Hamza finished with the best of 6 for 75 – his second five-for in Tests – and finished Zimbabwe’s innings with two wickets in his 25th over. After being gifted at Williams ’wicket by the first ball, it went to Victor Nyauchi, who played down the wrong line to a ball that went straight ahead to hit the top of the stump.
Earlier, Zimbabwe took the lead on 100 runs on a fertile second morning. The win was picked up by Williams, who shared a 75-run seven-wicket stand with Regis Chakabva to take control of the first session of the day, the two potential scoring runs being the difference. between the two sides in the final analysis.
Afghanistan prospered at the start and end of the session, and their spinners put questions to Zimbabwe’s fighters, but did not bind them as much as they would have liked. Zimbabwe received 104 runs per session in 28 pitches, with Chakabva leading their proactive approach.
He found himself at the crest in the second half of the day after Ibrahim Zadran had Ryan Burl lbw, without the baton added to his night 8. Zadran came over with a back end when Chakabva pulled a ball short and then inside -edged man past the keeper. Zadran only hit one again and Chakabva took the third off, before Afghanistan were spun from both ends and then welcomed back Yamin Ahmadzai, who left the field late on the first day with what looked like an ankle injury.
By then, Chakabva had also hit the same six of the innings, putting Hamza over a long period of time, and had scraped 24 runs off his first 34 balls. Williams had been keeping an eye on him all along, before he got a chance to drive Ahmadzai through extra cover to start showing his intention. After showcasing his backstroke yesterday, Williams moved to take pictures off the front leg on the second morning, showing the ability to change the shots and keep coming. Ahmadzai thought he had got Williams behind him at 70, and although there seemed to be a noise, manager Ahmed Shah Pakteen was not moved.
The Williams-Chakabva partnership reached 50 when Chakabva beat Zahir Khan for two fours in a row. They both looked comfortable on the crest and sailed through well. But with less than 15 minutes for lunch, Khan Chakabva pulled forward in an effort to defend a ball that brought the inside edge into the pack and to Abdul Malik at the short leg.
With just the tail to come, and Williams 14 away from a hundred, he pulled Khan through midwicket to enter the 90s but, three balls later, saw Donald Tiripano leave in the same way as Chakabva. He would also train at a ball that he could not get to the playground and inside for a short leg. Williams was 92 when he was joined by Blessing Muzarabani, who overcame 100 with a foot over a square foot. Williams went to lunch on 97, but reached his landmark without much hassle shortly after the restart.
Firdose Moonda is an ESPNcricinfo journalist in South Africa