adminBlessing Malinganiza
ZIMBABWE put Netherlands in their rightful place with a comfortable seven-wicket win before a capacity crowd to seal a 2-1 series win at Harare Sports Club on Saturday.
All-rounder Sean Williams was the star of the show, taking three wickets for 41 runs and later scoring 43 runs off 53 balls.
For his match-winning performance he was adjudged player of the match and subsequently named player of the tournament for his 120 runs in just two matches and three wickets.
Williams was introduced into the fray in the second match after completing his return from injury when Zimbabwe had gone down in the first One Day International to trail 1-0.
Although the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series had no bearing on both teams’ qualification for India 2023, Williams said winning becomes a habit.
And, they need this for their confidence heading into the World Cup Qualifiers scheduled for Zimbabwe in June.
The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers are set to run from June 18 to July 9 across two cities, Harare and Bulawayo.
Only two slots are left for the India World Cup. ‘‘It’s huge for us (series victory) as a team and it’s huge for me as a senior player and for the senior players in the team to keep setting standards for the juniors,” Williams said after the match.
“You know growing up underneath us and learning, mentoring these boys.
“I think that if we carry on along these lines we will start improving and seeing ourselves beating better sides.”
Netherlands captain, Scott Edwards said Zimbabwe made good use of their home conditions buoyed by the intimidating crowd. ‘‘Batting still let us out a few times but we have a few takeaways from the series.
“Obviously, Zimbabwe utilised the conditions well, credit to them for the victory but we will be back here in a few months and hope we will have a good tournament,” said Edwards.
The Dutch drew first blood with a three-wicket in the first ODI on Tuesday to lead the series 1-0 on the backdrop of Teja Nidamanuru’s unbeaten 100.
Zimbabwe scrapped through to a one-run win to level the series one-all, thanks to Wessly Madhevere’s hat-trick and Zimbabwe’s only third ODI after Eddo Brandes (1997) and Prosper Utseya in 2014. Madhevere was also in the thick of things contributing a half century (50) together with Gary Balance’s unbeaten on 64.
But it was Williams’ all-round display that saw the Chevrons come from a match down to seal a comfortable seven-wicket win and claim the series trophy.
Online Reporter