Zimbabwe Select set to field three spinners

Zimbabwe Select will go into the second and final four-day match against South Africa A starting at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Wednesday with three spinners.

Left-arm spinner Keith Dabengwa, legspinner Timycen Maruma and offspinner Prosper Utseya were all named in the starting line-up for the match as Zimbabwe coach Kevin Curran believed that the trio were the key to success. All three were also named in the squad for the Twenty20 World Championship which was announced yesterday.

Tino Mawoyo was finally dropped together with fast bowler Tawanda Mupariwa and top-order batsman Chamu Chibhabha. Brendan Taylor made a return to the Zimbabwe colours and was set to open the batting with Hamilton Masakadza.

Only one change looked likely in the South Africa A starting line-up. Opening batsman Alviro Petersen returned to South Africa because of illness and left-hander Ashwell Prince was expected to take his place.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe A will take on the South African Academy in a four-day match at Harare Sports Club. Mawoyo leads the A side which also included Sean Williams, who had recovered from a back injury. Other players in the squad were Chibhabha, Mupariwa, Kamungozi, Edward Rainsford and Graeme Cremer.

Zimbabwe A toured South Africa last month and played two three-day matches against the Highveld Lions and the South African Academy and one-dayers against the same opposition. They performed dismally in the three-day matches, losing both of them before winning the limited-overs encounters. All the matches were played at the High Performance Centre in Pretoria.

Zimbabwe Select Prosper Utseya (capt), Tatenda Taibu, Hamilton Masakadza, Gary Brent, Christopher Mpofu, Brendan Taylor, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Timycen Maruma, Vusumuzi Sibanda, Elton Chigumbura, Keith Dabengwa

South Africa A (probable): Boeta Dippenaar (capt), Johan Botha, Andrew Hall, Paul Harris, Charl Langeveldt, Hashim Amla, Andre Nel, Justin Ontong, Ashwell Prince, Thami Tsolekile (wk) Morne van Wyk.

Zimbabwe A Tino Mawoyo (capt), Eric Chauluka, Chamu Chibhabha, Sean Williams, Alester Maregwede, Regis Chakabva (wk), Tawanda Mupariwa, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Trevor Garwe, Edward Rainsford, Graeme Cremer.