Cremer creams Kenya

Zimbabwe 263 for 7 (Masakadza 66, Matsikenyeri 71*) beat Kenya 177 (Obuya 49, Cremer 6-46) by 86 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Graeme Cremer produced career-best figures with bat and ball as Zimbabwe secured a 2-0 lead with three matches to come in their ODI series against Kenya. Chasing an imposing 264 for victory at the Harare Sports Club, Kenya put up a fight with David Obuya cracking a quickfire 49 at the top of the order, but Cremer strangled their momentum with superb figures of 6 for 46, as Zimbabwe prevailed by 86 runs with 31 balls remaining.

After winning the toss, Prosper Utseya chose to bat first, just as he had done in Monday's first ODI, whereupon Hamilton Masakadza built on his career-best 156 in that fixture, with a coolly compiled 66 from 91 balls.

He added 77 in 15 overs for the first wicket with Mark Vermeulen, who was the first to fall for 32, and though the middle order wobbled to leave Zimbabwe awkwardly placed on 170 for 5 with 12 overs remaining, Stuart Matsikenyeri was on hand to guide the tail, finishing unbeaten on 71 from 70 balls, with two fours and two sixes.

The stand-out performer in the closing overs, however, was Cremer, who built up his confidence ahead of his bowling stint with a quickfire 31 from 19 balls in an unbeaten eighth-wicket stand of 65. His innings included three fours and was only the third time in 16 international innings that he had reached double-figures. The pick of the Kenya attack was the slow left-armer Hiran Varaiya, who claimed 3 for 38 in his ten overs.

In reply, Kenya started with some poise as Obuya and Rakep Patel added 57 for the first wicket. But Utseya struck twice with his offspinners before Cremer crashed through the middle-order. His first victim was Obuya, caught by Elton Chigumbura for 49 from 51 balls, and he chipped away at regular intervals, with two of his wickets coming from the last three balls of his spell.

Spin accounted for all ten of the Kenyan wickets, with Ray Price pinning Nehemiah Odhiambo lbw, second ball for 1, before Utseya returned to deliver the coup de grace, as Peter Ongondo was stumped by Brendan Taylor for 1. The teams reconvene on Thursday for the first of three potential series deciders.