adminTWO game-changing performances inspired Zimbabwe to a 46-run victory over the United States at Queens in Bulawayo yesterday as the Chevrons finished top of their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B 2022 group.
Dave Houghton’s men have won all their three matches.
The first was recorded by Sikandar Raza, who came in with the hosts’ innings at a crossroads, and hammered a magnificent 82 not out, off 40 balls, to take his team through to a big total.
The second was a vital spell of bowling from Wellington Masakadza, who came on at a stage when their opponents were threatening to take command, and seized four vital wickets, to put the Americans on a slippery slope towards defeat.
Zimbabwe won the toss for the first time in this tournament and decided to bat first.
They looked for runs aggressively from the start and, in the second over, bowled by Rusty Theron, Regis Chakabva hit him for four, six and four off successive deliveries.
Craig Ervine also made a good start but, after scoring 11 off nine balls, he paddled a ball from Nisarg Patel to backward square leg to be caught with the score 30 for one, in the fourth over.
Sean Williams began fluently, but Chakabva now got a little bogged down, and in trying to drive a ball over extra cover off Patel, was caught there for 30 off 21 balls – 59 for two in the eighth over.
Innocent Kaia did not settle in and was out lbw to Cameron Stevenson for two, making the score 64 for three and bringing together the pair of Williams and Raza.
After 10 overs the score was 70 for three, a little disappointing after such a dynamic start.
The pair settled in as usual and then started attacking, the 100 coming up in the 14th over.
Raza, hitting brilliantly, overtook Williams in the thirties, and raced to his fifty off 29 balls.
Williams made 37 off 35 deliveries when he failed to time a big drive off Aaron Jones and was caught at long-off with the score 143 for four wickets in the 18th over.
This pair had revived the Zimbabwe innings yet again, having put on 79 runs in eight overs and two balls, almost 10-an-over.
Ryan Burl hit a two, a six and then skied his third delivery to be caught by the keeper, while Luke Jongwe, also hitting at everything, was bowled second ball for one by Saurabh Netravalkar. Jones drew the short straw, as it were, to bowl the final over, and saw Raza smash his first three deliveries all for big sixes.
He then lost the strike, but Milton Shumba hit a four and a two off the final two balls to take the Zimbabwe total to a very impressive 185 for six wickets.
Zimbabwe will now play a semi-final against Papua New Guinea at Queens Sports Club today.
Scores
Zimbabwe – 185-6 in 20 overs (Sikandar Raza 82*, Sean Williams 37, Regis Chakabva 31; Nisarg Patel 2/24, Aaron Jones 2/37, Saurabh Netravalkar 1/27)
USA – 139-8 in 20 overs (Steven Taylor 46, Nisarg Patel 24*, Marty Kain 18; Wellington Masakadza 4/11, Luke Jongwe 1/9, Sean Williams 1/11)
Zimbabwe won by 46 runs – zimcricket
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter