West Indies welcomed Zimbabwe to their first T20 World Cup Super Eight with a turbo-charged batting performance that helped them thump the African nation by 107 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday night.
The West Indies posted 254 for 6 in 20 overs, the highest team total at this World Cup and the second highest in T20 World Cup history. They then bowled out Zimbabwe for 147 to seal a resounding victory.
Chasing a mammoth total, Zimbabwe were under pressure early on, slipping to 20 for 3 inside the first three overs. Matthew Forde provided the breakthrough with the wicket of Tadiwanashe Marumani, while Akeal Hosein knocked the top of off stump to dismiss Brian Bennett on the very next ball. It was the first time in this tournament that Bennett was out.
Zimbabwe recovered to 87 for 4 in 10 overs, but that was not sufficient to ward of defeat. West Indian bowlers kept a tight line and did not allow the Zimbabwe batters any leeway. Zimbabwe would have been in a far worse position but for Brad Evans’ cameo off 43 off 21. He was the last man to fall but this was one-way street through and through.
This was a huge win for WI, their second-highest margin of victory in T20Is and they moved to the top of the points table with the NRR reading +5.350.
Electing to field first, Zimbabwe restricted West Indies to 55 for 2 in powerplay but they couldn’t keep a lid on the power-packed batting line-up for too long.
Shimron Hetmyer, who was given two lives, including one when he was only on nine, made Zimbabwe pay dearly. He brought up his 50 with a six off captain Sikandar Raza. The 19-ball half-century was the fastest by a West Indian batter in T20 World Cups and the joint fastest of this edition.
A fiery knock of 85, off 34 balls and studded with seven fours and seven sixes, finally ended with Brian Bennett holding on to the catch on the boundary off Graeme Cremer.
After a steady start, Rovman Powell (59) also shifted into high gear, scoring his 50 in 29 balls. The power-packed West Indies breezed past milestones, Powell-Hetmyer brought up the joint fastest 100-run partnership in this World Cup and the team crossed the 150-mark inside 13 overs.
West Indies continued the blitz even after Hetmyer and Powell were sent back. They hit a total of 19 sixes and 16 fours to bring up the first 250 of this World Cup.
“Means a lot. More so, because I didn’t get a lot in the last game. I just want to replicate the things I have been doing in the last two months. Feels good to bat at No.3. It is a lot easier now as I have been doing it often. Having the backing from everyone, makes it a more comfortable head space. I am not thinking too much about the sixes. Feels good to accomplish something like that. We as a team haven’t accomplished anything as this is just one game. I have my family back home who have been supporting me and that helps me doing better. Not overthinking my batting. Been overthinking in the past. Now I am trying to think less, and the bat will now do the talking and I react what’s in front of me,” said Hetmyer, who was named the Player of the Match.
Brief scores: West Indies 254 for six in 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 85, Rovman Powell 59, Sherfane Rutherford 31 not out, Romario Shepherd 21; Richard Ngarava 2/47, Blessing Muzarabani 2/42) beat Zimbabwe 147 in 17.4 overs (Dion Myers 28, Sikandar Raza 27, Brad Evans 43; Akeal Hosein 3/28, Gudakesh Motie 4/28, Matthew Forde 2/27).
