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Mehluli Sibanda-Senior Sports Reporter
SIKANDAR Raza slammed a career best 87 runs to power Zimbabwe to victory by 111 runs over Singapore in their opening match at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Twenty20 World Cup Qualifier B at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo yesterday.
Raza hit eight fours and five sixes on his way to his best ever score in this format of the game, to better the 59 he made against Afghanistan in September 2015. The right-handed batsman now has the second highest score for Zimbabwe in T20Is, only bettered by the 94 made by Solomon Mire against Pakistan in July 2018 and the 93 not out by Hamilton Masakadza against Bangladesh in January 2016.
The right-handed batsman as ably supported by left hander Sean Williams who made 53 to guide Zimbabwe to their highest ever score in T20I, to beat the 200/2 they made against New Zealand in a losing cause in February 2012.
Tendai Chatara and Blessing Muzarabani did all the damage with ball in hand, Singapore restricted to 125/7 in 20 overs.
Captain Craig Ervine and Regis Chakabva gave Zimbabwe a flying start after the home team lost the toss, which saw them being sent in to bat. Chakabva was the first to depart when he was run out for 24 in the fourth over before Ervine also went for 34 trying to play a big shot off the bowling of Aryaman Sunil and only succeeded in getting the ball in the gloves of Manpreet Singh.
Wessley Madhevere did not last at the crease, gone for just two runs off five balls, removed by Janak Prakash, the catch taken by Akshay Puri.
Raza and Williams put on 103 for the fourth wicket as the two put the Singapore bowlers to the sword. The two raced to their half centuries in quick succession.
Singapore never really got going when they lost their first wicket with just six runs on the board and they never recovered as they staggered their way before stumbling.
In the end, Zimbabwe restricted Singapore to 125/7, securing a big 111-run win.
In another Group A match played across the city at Bulawayo Athletic Club yesterday, the United States of America thrashed Jersey by eight wickets.
Jersey’s start was a slow one with the USA bowlers controlling the scoring rate in the initial overs. Three wickets fell in the first 10 overs with the score of just 47. No.3 batter Asa Tribe was the lone warrior for Jersey and his fiery knock powered them to a respectable total.
Taking advantage of the bad balls, Tribe dispatched as many as seven boundaries over the rope and brought up a brilliant half-century. He remained not out on 73 off 45 as Jersey posted 154/5 in their 20 overs. Juan Theron and Nisarg Patel took two wickets apiece for the USA.
For the most part, USA’s chase was a pretty straightforward affair. A modest target of 155 was no match for their batting fire-power. Despite losing their captain Monank Patel in the seventh over, the pair of Steven Taylor and Aaron Jones put up an 88-run second-wicket stand. Taylor was the aggressor in the partnership as Jones dropped the anchor at the other end. When the second wicket finally fell in the 17th over, USA were just 25 runs away from victory.
Taylor scored an unbeaten 101 as they registered an eight-wicket win with 11 balls to spare. Zimbabwe face Jersey in their second match of the tournament at Queens Sports Club this morning while Singapore face USA at BAC.
Scorecard
Zimbabwe v Singapore
Zimbabwe 236/5 20 overs (Raza 87, Williams 53, Ervine 34, Krishna 1/31) beat Singapore 125/7 20 overs (Prakash 32, Chatara 3/14, Muzarabani 2/21) by 111 runs
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter