Zimbabwe unable to take down another top-ranked team as the Windies piled on the biggest total of the World Cup
For a few seconds it seemed Zimbabwe were in the game against West Indies in their Super Eights T20 World Cup tie.
The extra pace and bounce of Blessing Muzarabani had forced a mis-hit pull by Shimron Hetmyer and West Indies were about to be 2-26 off 21 balls.
But on the boundary the ball popped in, then out, of Tashinga Musekiwa’s hands.
Hetmyer was on nine at the time. He went on to make 85 off 34 balls, with seven sixes and seven fours.
By the time he was out West Indies were 3-176 with more than five overs to spare and heading for the biggest score of the tournament.
In the end the two-time winners made 6-254, with Rovman Powell clouting 59 off 35 balls and Sherfane Rutherford an unbeaten 31 off 13. In all West Indies hit 19 sixes at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Only Sri Lanka, when making 6-260 against Kenya in 2007, had made a higher score at a T20 World Cup.
Sri Lanka won that match by 172 runs, a competition record. Zimbabwe avoided that ignominy, which threatened when they were 3-20 in the third over, but were never in the hunt.
Some late hitting from Brad Evans, who bunted, pulled and bashed a 21-ball 43 with five sixes amid a 44-run last-wicket partnership, lifted Zimbabwe to 147 all out.
The 107-run loss was still the largest margin of this tournament.
The pick of the West Indies bowlers were Gudakesh Motie with 4-28 and Akeal Hosein 3-28, each from four overs.
Put in to bat West Indies lost Brandon King (9) early, and after Hetmyer’s escape Shai Hope (14) departed leaving them 2-54 in the sixth over.
Hetmyer and Powell then clubbed 122 in 52 balls with Romario Shepherd (21) and Jason Holder (13) adding five more sixes between them.
“I’m trying to think less and react to what is in front of me, not over-thinking my batting,” said Hetmyer of his secret.
Only Graeme Cremer (1-38) went for less than ten-an-over in the innings as Zimbabwe were left shell-shocked and West Indies’ Group 1 rivals put on notice.
West Indies join South Africa on top of Group 1 with a victory apiece, and significantly, impressive net run rates.
The pair meet in Thursday in Ahmedabad with the winner almost certain to make the semi-finals. A few hours later co-hosts India play Zimbabwe in Chennai needing a win to retain a serious chance of retaining their title.
