Zimbabwe seam bowler Tendai Chatara was on song as his team blew away the Netherlands in the first of three one day games in Amsterdam on Tuesday.
Chatara’s five scalps were all top six batsman with the seamer claiming his five wicket haul inside the first fifteen overs and devastating the Dutch effort.
The Netherlands found themselves 38 for 6 in the thirteenth over of the match and although Logan van Beek and Aussie born Glamorgan bowler Timm van der Gugten put on 86 for the ninth wicket their total of 142 all out was never going to be enough for victory.
Chatara’s figures of 5/34 represent a career best effort in List A cricket and the 26-year-old was delighted to contribute to victory for his team as they build towards a bid to qualify for the 2019 World Cup.
REPORT: Zimbabwe ease to comfortable win over Netherlands
Speaking after the match, Chatara said: “It feels great taking a five-for and giving the batters a low score to chase down and winning the first game of three matches.”
The seamer was hopeful that Zimbabwe, who drew their recent ODI series in Scotland, could clinch their fifty over series against the Dutch in their next game.
He added: “Hopefully we win the next game and we take the series.”
After an indifferent series in Scotland where he claimed just one wicket in fourteen overs and conceded 99 runs the fast-medium bowler hopes to establish himself as Christopher Mpofu’s regular opening bowling partner in the fifty over format.
Chatara went on: “I want to continue to bowl well in this series and give the team the opportunity to win games.”
After Holland the Zimbabweans will head to Sri Lanka for a five match ODI series that forms part of their first outbound bilateral series against a full member since they visited Bangladesh in November 2015.
