On Friday, Zimbabwe defeated Scotland by five wickets to advance to the Twenty20 World Cup’s Super 12 round for the first time. Skipper Craig Ervine made a half-century in the victory.
Tendai Chatara and Richard Ngarava’s accurate bowling helped the African team restrict the Scots to 132-6 before they easily completed the run chase with nine balls remaining.
Despite participating in five previous World Cups, Zimbabwe has never advanced beyond the first round.
However, they have been getting better ever since coach Dave Houghton, Zimbabwe’s first Test captain in 1992, joined the team in July for his second tenure.
They defeated Ireland to start their most recent World Cup campaign, fell to the West Indies, and then won their match against Scotland.
Richie Berrington, the captain of Scotland, won the toss and decided to bat, but they were put in a bad position right away when they lost Michael Jones, who scored a masterful 86 against Ireland, in the first over.
Sikandar Raza dismissed Chatara with a brilliant over-the-shoulder catch off his bowling.
Wessly Madhevere made another amazing diving catch at midwicket to dismiss Matthew Cross for one four overs later, leaving Scotland at 24-2.
Before the captain holed out to Milton Shumba in the deep off Raza for 13, the opener George Munsey maintained composure at the other end and put up a 40-run partnership with Berrington.
The run rate decreased as a result of some economical bowling as Munsey scored his eleventh T20 half-century with a single before being caught by Shumba off Ngarava five balls later for 54. Calum MacLeod (25) and Michael Leask (12) then contributed significant runs in the closing stages.
Zimbabwe scored a four to open the chase, but lost two wickets in the next eight balls.
Regis Chakabva, who had just smacked the boundary, was caught lbw by Brad Wheal, while Madhevere afterwards left the field without scoring by dragging a Josh Davey ball into his stumps.
Together with Ervine, who was absent from their last encounter due to a “minor asthmatic attack,” Sean Williams put on 35 runs, but the partnership was ended when Michael Leask entered the attack and was caught by Wheal for seven.
After 10 overs, Zimbabwe was left on 55-3.
Ervine was content to take second place behind the dangerous Raza (40 off 23), who batted until being caught behind by Cross off Davey, and held his composure to score his tenth T20 half-century.
They needed 14 runs off the last three overs when Ervine was caught chipping down the pitch, and Chris Greaves and Davey delivered.
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