Zimbabwe beat UAE to keep the hope alive

Sidelights | ICC World T20 | Zimbabwe Vs United Arab Emirates

We have already called the United Arab Emirates team as the weakest team on the offer for this year’s ICC World T20, currently held in Bangladesh and they exactly proved our point in their last league match. The only thing they could rejoice is that they did not get all out in the final game of their tour of Bangladesh. Zimbabwe on the other hand should feel happy on two counts. First that by winning the game they kept their hopes alive in the competition but also for a change they won the game before the last ball was bowled but not without initial hiccups.

ICC World T20 | First Round | Match 11 | Zimbabwe Vs United Arab Emirates

Venue: Sylhet Stadium, Sylhet

Toss: Zimbabwe and elected to field first

Playing XIs

United Arab Emirates: Shaiman Anwar, Faizan Asif, Khurram Khan, Swapnil Patil, Rohan Mustafa, Amjad Ali, Amjad Javed, Shadeep Silva, Kamran Shazad, Manjula Guruge

Zimbabwe: Hamilton Masakadza, Sikandar Raza, Brendon Taylor, Sean Williams, Vusi Sibanda, Elton Chigumbura, Timycen Maruma, Prosper Utseya, Tinashe Panyangara, Tendai Chatara, Natsai Mushangwe

Mini Score Card:

United Arab Emirates 116/9 (20) – Swapnil Patil 30 (26) | Sean Williams 3/15 (4)

Zimbawe 118/5 (13.4) – Elton Chigumbura 53* (21) | Manjula Guruge 2/18

Result: Zimbabwe won by 5 wickets

Points: Zimbabwe 2 (4), United Arab Emirates 0

Man of the match: Elton Chigumbura (Zimbabwe)

Umpires: Billy Bowden (New Zealand) | Bruce Oxenford (Australia) | Marais Erasmus (3^rd – South Africa) | Ian Gound (Reserve – England)

Match Referee: David Boon (Australia)

How they played the game

Poweplay: United Arab Emirates 31 runs, 2 wickets | Zimbabwe 31 runs, 3 wickets

First 50 runs: United Arab Emirates 50 balls | Zimbabwe 49 balls

Next 50 runs: United Arab Emirates 59 balls | Zimbabwe 29 balls

Best Partnership

United Arab Emirates – 3^rd wicket – 58 off 49 balls | Contributors: Swapnil Patil 30 (23) and Khurram Khan 25 (26)

Zimbabwe – 6^th wicket– 55 runs off 27 balls | Contributors: Elton Chigumbura 32 (13) and Timycen Maruma 22 (14)

Fours:

United Arab Emirates 11 (5- Swapnil Patil, 3 – Khurram Khan, 1 – Shaiman Anwar, Shadeep Silva, Kamran Shazad)

Zimbabwe 12 (6 – Elton Chigumbura, 3 – Timycen Maruma, 2 – Brendon Taylor, 1 – Sikandar Raza)

SIXERS

United Arab Emirates 2 (Kamran Shazad)

Zimbabwe 5 (3- Elton Chigumbura, 1 – Brendon Taylor, Vusi Sibanda)

In the pic: Elton Chigumbura strikes the ball hard

Picture Courtesy: ESPN-Cricinfo