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Mehluli Sibanda in BULAWAYO
ZIMBABWE will wait no longer to make a return to an International Cricket Council major event after they put up yet another brilliant display to thump Papua New Guinea by 27 runs in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier semifinal encounter at Queens Sports Club yesterday.
The win secured the Chevrons a place at this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to be held in Australia. Netherlands also qualified for the event after beating United States of America by seven wickets at Bulawayo Athletic Club.
The Chevrons, who have had a perfect run in the Qualifier, are set to clash with the Netherlands in the final of the tournament at Queens Sports Club tomorrow knowing their tickets to Australia are secure.
Netherlands thrashed the United States of America by seven wickets in the other semifinal encounter played at Bulawayo Athletic Club. It certainly promises to be exciting encounter between Zimbabwe and Netherlands since it pits the two yet to taste defeat teams in the tournament.
Zimbabwe last took part in a major ICC event in 2016 when they took part in the Men’s T20 World Cup played in India, a tournament in which they were eliminated in the first round. The win over Papua New Guinea banished the ghost of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 where all a Heath Streak coached team needed was to beat the United Arab Emirates at Harare Sports Club only to lose by three runs through the Duckworth-Lewis method, a defeat which saw Zimbabwe miss out on a place at the 2019 ICC Men’s 50 over Cricket World Cup in England.
Wessley Madhevere, back in the team after being overlooked for the win over the United States of America on Thursday top scored for Zimbabwe with 42 off 29 deliveries to take Zimbabwe to 199/5 in 20 overs after skipper Craig Ervine won the toss and chose to bat first. Ervine had the second highest contribution of 38 and his opening partner Regis Chakabva made 30.
Tony Ura, the Player of the Match top scored for PNG with a 35-ball 66 but his effort proved not enough.
PNG will now battle it out in the third-place playoff against the USA at Queens Sports Club on Sunday. In another match played at Queens Sports Club, Uganda beat Jersey by five runs in the playoff semifinal. They qualified for the fifth-place playoff against Hong Kong tomorrow, with that win.
Scorecard:
Zimbabwe 199/5 20 overs (Madhevere 42, Ervine 38, Chakabva 30, Bau 2/32) beat
Papua New Guinea 172/8 20 overs (Ura 66, Muzarabani 2/24, Williams 1/9, Madhevere 1/12) by 27 runs
Online Reporter