Zimbabwe Shocks Cricketing World With 35-Run Victory Over West Indies In ODI World Cup Qualifier

Zimbabwe pulled off a stunning victory against two-time champions West Indies in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers on Saturday, thanks to an exceptional all-round performance. The match, held in Harare, witnessed Zimbabwe's triumph as they secured a 35-run win over the West Indies. With this impressive win, Zimbabwe now sits at the top of Group A, having won all three matches and accumulating a total of six points. On the other hand, West Indies stands at the third position with two wins, one loss, and a total of four points.

Zimbabwean team received a significant boost from their home crowd, and they capitalized on it to secure a remarkable win over the West Indies. In their pursuit of a target of 269 runs, Zimbabwe made a strong comeback by taking two crucial wickets in the first 10 overs. This breakthrough came after Brandon King (20) and Kyle Mayers (56 off 72 balls, including eight fours and a six) had provided a solid start for the West Indies. Initially, West Indies seemed to be in control during the first powerplay, scoring 14 runs off Tendai Chatara's third over.

However, Zimbabwe turned the tide in their favor when Blessing Muzarabani dismissed King for 20 in his very first over. Richard Ngarava, the left-arm pacer, struck in the 10th over to remove Johnson Charles (1), giving Zimbabwe their second success. They had a chance for another wicket on the last ball, but unfortunately, the fielder missed a straightforward run-out opportunity. At the end of the first powerplay, the score was 55/2, and the match was still wide open.

Zimbabwe's disciplined bowling increased the pressure on Shai Hope and Mayers, as they managed to collect only eight runs between overs 11 and 14. However, Mayers broke the shackles in the 15th over by hitting three consecutive boundaries. The crucial third-wicket partnership between Mayers and Hope added 64 runs from 67 deliveries, helping West Indies cross the 100-run mark. Zimbabwe's Wellington Masakadza provided the breakthrough by dismissing Mayers for 56 in the 21st over.

Nicholas Pooran, who came in at number 5, continued his aggressive batting style and quickly got off the mark with three boundaries. However, Sikandar Raza, the talismanic player, ended any hopes of another match-turning partnership between Hope and Pooran by clean bowling Hope for 30 runs in the 24th over. Pooran (34) then formed a patient 41-run partnership with Roston Chase (44), but his dismissal in the 32nd over once again shifted the momentum in favor of Zimbabwe. Muzarabani struck in the very next over to dismiss Rovman Powell for just 1 run, putting Zimbabwe in a commanding position.

Having found their way into the West Indies tail, the Zimbabwean bowlers relentlessly pursued wickets. Tendai Chatara made a brilliant comeback after a slow start, finishing with figures of 3/52. Raza contributed two wickets to his exceptional batting performance, while Richard Ngarava starred by dismissing Charles and Pooran. In the end, West Indies was bowled out for 233 runs in 44.4 overs, falling short of Zimbabwe's total. Earlier, Zimbabwe had a challenging start to their innings as West Indies delivered crucial blows, but an important partnership of 87 runs between Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl helped Zimbabwe reach a respectable total.

During the first powerplay, neither team gained the upper hand. West Indies failed to take a wicket, while Zimbabwe struggled to score at a fast pace, managing under four runs per over. This was the first time in 10 ODIs that West Indies did not pick up a wicket during the powerplay overs.

Although Zimbabwe slightly increased their scoring rate afterward, West Indies remained sharp on the field and capitalized on their chances. Joylord Gumbie (26) was dismissed lbw by Keemo Paul in the 16th over, and Wessly Madhevere (2) was caught at mid-on off Akeal Hosein.
Zimbabwe relied on the experienced pair of Craig Ervine and Sean Williams to stabilize their innings, but their hopes were shattered when Ervine fell for 47 runs in 58 balls, attempting an ill-timed reverse sweep. Williams and Sikandar Raza then took an aggressive approach against the West Indies bowlers. While they scored quickly, Williams was caught for 23 runs in the 25th over when he tried to hit a rising delivery from Alzarri Joseph over mid-wicket.

Raza, the centurion from the previous game, partnered with Ryan Burl to revive Zimbabwe's innings. The duo survived a few close chances before accelerating and playing their shots. They added 87 runs off 94 balls for the fifth wicket before Burl was dismissed lbw by Hosein for 50 runs in 57 balls. Raza continued to score briskly and completed his half-century with back-to-back boundaries against Jason Holder in the 42nd over.

Eventually, the all-rounder was dismissed for 68 runs after pulling a delivery from Kyle Mayers to Alzarri Joseph in the deep. In the final powerplay, West Indies fought back and took six wickets. However, some sloppy fielding towards the end allowed the last pair to add 25 runs off 15 balls. Zimbabwe finished their innings at 268 runs in 49.5 overs. Keemo Paul (3/61), Alzarri Joseph (2/42), and Akeal Hosein (2/45) were the leading wicket-takers for West Indies. In the match, West Indies won the toss and elected to bowl first. Both teams entered the game without making any changes to their playing XI.