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HOBART: Alzarri Joseph led West Indies’ inspired fast bowling display with a four-wicket haul to help them beat Zimbabwe by 31 runs in the T20 World Cup in Hobart on Wednesday and keep the twice former champions in the hunt to qualify for the Super 12 stage.
Joseph bowled with pace and precision to cause damage to Zimbabwe at the start and then returned in his second spell to snuff out the remaining fight from the African side to register career-best figures of 4-16 in T20 Internationals.
All-rounder Jason Holder provided able support by picking up 3-12 as West Indies bundled out Zimbabwe for 122 after winning the toss and batting first to post 153-7.
Opener Johnson Charles top-scored for West Indies with 45 as the Caribbean side also found the going tough with the bat with Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza causing them problems with his off-spin and other variations to pick up 3-19. The victory means West Indies meet Ireland on Friday with the winner going through to the next round when the big guns join the tournament, while Zimbabwe face Scotland in a winner-takes-all tie.
“We are learning together and that’s what’s important,” said West Indies skipper Nicholas Pooran. “Jason put his hand up as our most experienced bowler here so it’s nice to see him performing the way he is. Alzarri Joseph, it’s not just now but since the beginning of the year he’s been our best bowler in T20 cricket.”
Against a Zimbabwe side without captain Craig Ervine, who suffered a “mild asthmatic attack” before the game, West Indies were aggressive early on, but paid the price with Kyle Mayers (13) top-edging Blessing Muzarabani to wicket-keeper Regis Chakabva, who was deputising as skipper.
Charles found his groove and unleashed in the ninth over, hitting 6-4-4 off Ryan Burl to get the scoreboard moving before Evin Lewis mistimed a heave down the ground off Raza and was caught. Pooran fell for seven and when Charles was comically run out for 45 in a mix-up with Rovman Powell, the West Indies were reeling.
Zimbabwe kept the pressure on. Raza trapped Shamarah Brooks lbw, and then caught and bowled Holder with the West Indies losing four wickets for 11 runs in 12 balls to leave them on 101-6.Powell (28) and Akeal Hosein (23 not out) steadied the ship and threw the bat in a late flourish to ensure they set a competitive target.
In reply, Zimbabwe slammed 18 in a nightmare first over from Mayers.Undeterred, the Caribbean side made a breakthrough in the third over when Regis Chakabva dragged the ball onto his stumps off Joseph.
Joseph took his second with a lightning delivery to remove Tony Munyonga and Sean Williams fell two balls later as the pressure began building for Zimbabwe. Allrounder Raza slammed 82 off 48 balls in Zimbabwe’s first match on Monday, but he was out for 14 and when Joseph came back in the attack he shattered the stumps of Richard Ngarava and Luke Jongwe to end any hope they had.—Agencies
West Indies v Zimbabwe
Scoreboard
WEST INDIES:
K. Mayers c Chakabva b Muzarabani 13
J. Charles run out (Munyonga) 45
E. Lewis c Shumba b Raza 15
N. Pooran c & b Williams 7
R. Powell c Ngarava b Muzarabani 28
S. Brooks lbw b Raza 0
J. Holder c & b Raza 4
A. Hosein not out 23
O. Smith not out 1
EXTRAS (LB-10, NB- 2, W-5) 17
TOTAL (for seven wkts, 20 overs) 153
DID NOT BAT: A. Joseph, O. McCoy
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-28 (Mayers), 2-77 (Lewis), 3-90 (Pooran), 4-97 (Charles), 5-97 (Brooks), 6-101 (Holder), 7-150 (Powell)
BOWLING: Ngarava 3-0-20-0 (1w), Chatara 3-0-22-0 (2w), Muzarabani 4-0-38-2 (2w, 1nb), Burl 3-0-27-0, Raza 4-0-19-3, Williams 3-0-17-1 (1nb)
ZIMBABWE:
W. Madhevere c Lewis b Holder 27
R. Chakabva b Joseph 13
T. Munyonga b Joseph 2
S. Williams c Pooran b McCoy 1
Sikandar Raza c Powell b Smith 14
M. Shumba c Brooks b Hosein 2
R. Burl lbw b Holder 17
L. Jongwe b Joseph 29
R. Ngarava b Joseph 2
T. Chatara b Holder 3
B. Muzarabani not out 1
EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-2, W-7) 11
TOTAL (all out, 18.2 overs) 122
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-29 (Chakabva), 2-47 (Munyonga), 3-48 (Williams), 4-58 (Madhevere), 5-64 (Raza), 6-79 (Shumba), 7-92 (Burl), 8-102 (Ngarava), 9-120 (Jongwe)
BOWLING: Mayers 1-0-17-0 (1w), Hosein 4-0-25-1 (1w, 1nb), Joseph 4-0-16-4, McCoy 3-0-19-1, Holder 3.2-0-12-3, Smith 3-0-31-1 (1w, 1nb)
RESULT: West Indies won by 31 runs.