Mon Feb 23 ’26 by KRISSANIA YOUNG
For a team that thrives on chasing, the West Indian spinners have mastered the art of defending in India
West Indies 254 for 6 (Hetmyer 85, Powell 59; Muzarabani 2-42) beating Zimbabwe 147 all out (Evans 43, Myers 28; Motion 4-28) with 107 runs
West Indies concluded the Super Eights stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with an emphatic 107-run win over Zimbabwe in Wankhede on Monday. In a batting display full of attacking shots and huge sixes, accentuated by swagger, Windies took the Caribbean to Mumbai and scaled a mammoth 254 before their spinners wreaked havoc and crippled Zimbabwe’s chase.
Zimbabwe had to go. It took 255 runs for victory, and they had just 120 balls to get it. Thanks to some streaky boundaries, they managed 20 off the first 11 balls of the chase before Matthew Forde had Tadiwanashe Marumani (14) caught in the deep at the end of the second over.
Akeal Hosein (3/28) bowled Brian Bennett (5) with a peach to start the third before removing Ryan Burl for a duck three balls later. Zimbabwe had lost three wickets without scoring another run. Sikandar Raza and Dion Myers stemmed the flow of wickets with a stand of 32 runs (24 balls), before Raza put on 42 (23 balls) with Tony Munyonga.
Both partnerships were ended by Gudakesh Motie (4/28), who scored a hat-trick after bowling Raza (27) and Musekiwa (0) in successive deliveries to leave Zimbabwe 94 for 6 in the 11th.
As the West Indies cruised to certain victory, the procession resumed, with Zimbabwe losing three wickets for 8 runs. The final pair, Brad Evans (43) and Richard Ngarava (7), then formed the highest partnership of the innings (44 off 19), which was ended by a slower ball from Matthew Forde (2/27), completing Zimbabwe’s response to 147 in 17.4 overs.
Despite being undefeated in the tournament, the West Indies found themselves in the Super Eights with an impressive 7.5 (rpo) in the powerplay. Brandon King’s strike earlier in the evening did little to improve that statistic as his 12-ball nine saw his average drop below 15 in the league.
After King’s wicket, Zimbabwe should have had two in two overs. However, Shimron Hetmyer was dropped at 9 by Musekiwa in the 4th off Blessing Muzarabani (2/42). The left-hander then starred in a 37-run (19-ball) partnership with Shai Hope before the skipper was brilliantly taken deep off the penultimate ball of the phase for a 12-ball 14.
At 54 for 2 in the 6th, and with Roston Chase out of the XI, West Indies decided not to stop Rovman Powell. Powell took a few deliveries to get started on his work and watched from the other end as Hetmyer dragged the spinners over the fence.
The left-hander hit five maximums in six balls off Graeme Cremer and Sikandar Raza, the latter of which gave him the fastest fifty (19 balls) by a West Indian at the T20 World Cup. Even when field restrictions were relaxed, there was no slowdown. West Indies hit 60 runs between overs seven and ten (24 balls) to reach 115 for 2 at drinks.
Hetmyer was given new life in the 12th on 70, again by Musekiwa, this time off the bowling of Brad Evans. Powell, meanwhile, aimed for pace. After scoring 14 off his first 16 balls, the former captain switched with a six to finish off Evans.
He followed that up with a four and a six off Dion Myers, then a maximum and two boundaries when Evans returned in the 14th. Powell smashed 36 runs in 13 deliveries and brought up a fifty-ball fifty.
The tie of 122 runs (52 balls) was broken when Cremer had Hetmyer (85 off 34) caught excellently in the deep in the 15th. Zimbabwe certainly harbored thoughts of pulling things back when Musekiwa eventually held one to hand Muzarabani the wicket of Powell (59) at the start of the 17th over with West Indies 194 for 4.
But there would be no reprieve for Zimbabwe, as Romario Shepherd joined Sherfane Rutherford, and the pair hit four maximums in their 15 balls together en route to a 35-run stand.
Shepherd’s wicket in the 18th brought Jason Holder into the crease, and the all-rounder started the final over with two maximums before being caught, forcing Rutherford to end the innings with a boundary, putting the West Indies at 254 for 6 from their allotment.
#CaribbeanCricket.com #independent #voice #West #Indian #cricket