THE four day cricket match between Zimbabwe A and Pakistan A concluded in a stalemate on Thursday with play abandoned with an hour left on the final day when it became clear that there would be no winner at Queens Sports Club.

Pakistan A made a rapid 72 runs from 12 overs at six runs per over and still needed a further 234 runs for an unlikely victory. Zimbabwe A, aided by 87 runs from Malcolm Waller made 219 runs for the loss of six wickets in 75.2 overs. This left the tourists requiring 306 runs for victory when the declaration came just after tea.

Zimbabwe A resumed from their overnight score of 25 for one, Tinotenda Mawoyo and Craig Ervine the two batsmen in the middle. Mawoyo and Ervine went early into the morning session but Sikandar Raza and Waller brought stability to the home side’s innings with a 77 run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Raza made 40 off 64 balls while Waller compiled 87 from 126 deliveries before he fell to leg break bowler Shadab Khan, taken on the boundary and that is when Zimbabwe A decided to bring their second innings to an end.

Pakistan A openers attacked from the onset with 10 runs coming off Christopher Mpofu’s first over. The coming on of spinners Graeme Cremer and Raza reduced the scoring rate for Pakistan A. Fakhar Zaman top scored with 40 runs with his partner Zain Abbas on 31 when the contest was declared a draw.

The two teams meet in another four-day encounter at the same venue which commences on Saturday.