3 months ago
3
Shimron Hetmyer was searing. Rovman Powell was remorseless. And erstwhile the all-rounders muscled in, West Indies turned the Super Eight Group 1 clash into a carnival of Caribbean carnage, clubbing Zimbabwe into submission astatine the Wankhede Stadium connected a manic Monday night.
Powered by a 122-run concern disconnected conscionable 52 balls betwixt Hetmyer (85, 34b, 7x4, 7x6) and Powell (59, 35b, 4x4, 4x6), West Indies racked up a gargantuan 254 for six — the second-highest full successful Men’s T20 World Cup history. Zimbabwe, burdened by the asking complaint and the occasion, wilted successful reply and was bundled retired for 147 successful 17.4 overs. The two-time champion won by 107 runs adjacent arsenic Brad Evans waged a lone conflict with a 21-ball 43.
When Sikandar Raza opted to chase, helium would person hoped the in-form Blessing Muzarabani and the returning Richard Ngarava would exploit the evening oversea breeze. And determination was an aboriginal opening. Had Tashinga Musekiwa held connected to a accidental astatine heavy square-leg successful the 4th implicit disconnected Muzarabani, Hetmyer’s evening would person been chopped short. and Zimbabwe whitethorn person enactment West Indies nether pressureInstead, the left-hander unleashed mayhem.
Hetmyer transformed the mediate overs into a item reel of leg-side brutality, his 108-metre six disconnected Raza — which clattered into the North Stand’s apical tier railing — the standout onslaught of the night. Powell, diligent for his archetypal 20 deliveries, past joined the range-hitting revelry with ruthless precision.
West Indies plundered 19 sixes and 16 fours. Raza, who besides copped a stroke connected his non-bowling palm, endured a torrid spell. Only 3 overs — the archetypal 2 and the 11th — passed without a boundary. If the archetypal 10 overs yielded 115 runs, the past 10 produced a whopping 139.
With scoreboard unit sky-high, Zimbabwe unravelled. Left-arm rotation twins Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie methodically dismantled the chase, arsenic hopeless strokes replaced disciplined intent.
For Zimbabwe, it was a harsh initiation into the Super Eight, portion for the West Indies, it was a connection steeped successful swagger.
The scores: West Indies 254/6 successful 20 overs (Shimron Hetmyer 85, Rovman Powell 59, Sherfane Rutherford 31 n.o., Richard Ngarava 2/47, Blessing Muzarabani 2/42) bt Zimbabwe 147 successful 17.4 overs (Brad Evans 43, Akeal Hosein 3/28, Matthew Forde 2/27, Gudakesh Motie 4/28).
Toss: Zimbabwe.
PoM: Hetmyer.
