Zim crumble before Kiwis

4 May 2010

After a Zimbabwean collapse New Zealand ground out 36-1 in the 8.1 overs preceding rain to win by seven runs on Duckworth Lewis.

Zimbabwe failed to utilise the momentum gained in warm-up wins against Pakistan and Australia and have become the first team to be knocked from the 2010 T20 World Cup. Zimbabwe have cause for disappointed, their total match time in the West Indies, thanks to one part rain, two parts inept batting, was only 48.2 overs. The result also guarantees New Zealand’s place in the Super Eights, having won both of their pool-play clashes.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Kiwi’s, Zimbabwe putting them to the sword early on. Tatenda Taibu starred with adept improvisation, but fell for 21 [from 14] with Zimbabwe at 36-1. Hamilton Masakadza picked up the batton and at 57-1 in the seventh over, Zimbabwe looked like giving Sri Lanka a scare.

But when Jacob Oram and Gareth Hopkins combined to run out Masakadza, the collapse began. Zimbabwe sunk from 57-1 in the seventh, to 84 all out after 15.1 overs; losing eight wickets for 16 runs in 51 balls.

Nathan McCullum, scooping his second successive Man-of-the-Match award, had the Zimbabwean middle order in knots, dismissing three middle order batsmen (Elton Chigumbura, Charles Coventry and Craig Ervine) in the ninth over. His feat would later be matched by Scott Styris who claimed three scalps in four balls to accelerate Zimbabwe’s demise.

In order to advance, despite their shocking display, Zimbabwe would need to dismiss New Zealand for 73 or less. But with dark skies overhead the odds of this went from slim to none. Uneventful batting from New Zealand kept them on the right side of the D/L calculations and when the heavens eventually opened at the start of the ninth over New Zealand were seven ahead of the required 29.

Zimbabwe 84 all out (15.1 overs)
Tatenda Taibu 21, Scott Styris 3-5, Nathan McCullum 3-16
New Zealand 36-1 (8.1 overs)
Brendon McCullum 22*, Prosper Utseya 1-21
New Zealand won by 7 runs on D/L method

Click here for a full scorecard.


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