West Indies Vs Zimbabwe — west indies vs zimbabwe: Windies crush Zimbabwe by 107 runs in Mumbai
west indies vs zimbabwe produced a dominant display as West Indies sealed a 107-run win to start their Super 8 stage in Mumbai. The victory was West Indies' fifth from five in this tournament and took them to the top of Group 1 on net run-rate.
Match overview: Super 8 stage win
West Indies posted 254-6, the second-highest total in T20 World Cups, and then bowled out Zimbabwe for 147 in 17. 4 overs to secure a 107-run victory. The result completed a fifth straight triumph for the Windies in the competition and moved them clear at the top of Group 1 on net run-rate.
Hetmyer and Powell fire
Shimron Hetmyer produced the standout innings, smashing a 19-ball fifty on his way to 85 off 34 balls before he fell. Nicholas Powell also made a big contribution, scoring 59 off 35. Those two innings underpinned West Indies' 254-6 total.
Motie and Hosein returns
From the bowling side, Gudakesh Motie claimed 4-28 and Akeal Hosein took 3-28 as Zimbabwe were restricted to 147. Sean Evans top-scored for Zimbabwe with 43 off 21 balls in their chase, but the innings ended well short of the target in the 17. 4th over.
Captains' reactions
West Indies captain Shai Hope praised the batting and the team's collective contribution. He said: "We all enjoyed that batting performance. When everyone is firing like that, it is such a joy to watch. It is amazing to see everyone contributing now, getting us a high run tally. Maybe there is just one batter left to get that big score, but it will all come in time. "
Hope added on the spinners and the surface: "I didn't think the ball would spin as much as it did today, especially because the surface is a bit tougher than the rest, but it was good to see the spinners in our innings utilise it at the backend. "
On Gudakesh Motie's return and form, Hope said: "We tend to neglect how important time away from the game is, especially when you are playing so much cricket. He has been one of our best bowlers in all formats. It is great to see him coming back after using his time wisely and working on his skills. It is great to see him contributing. Hopefully he can continue that going into the rest of the games. "
Zimbabwe captain Sikander Raza reflected on learning from the defeat and the team’s focus ahead of upcoming matches. He said: "The plan of action is to go for an extra tomorrow and hopefully everything will be fine, but we will see how it goes. I don't want to think about the venues. If we think like that then we will learn nothing from this game. For me and for Zimbabwe, it is very important that we take at least something out of this result. It is very nice to play here but we can only learn something if we have an attitude where we actually want to learn rather than look for excuses that won't help us. I'm not really bothered about the change in venues. If we want to go through then we have to play our best cricket at any venue, whether it is here in India or in Sri Lanka. That is the challenge. "
On facing India in Chennai and the challenge ahead, Raza said: "Even with the bruises that we have received today, we will still look to win and look to earn a good performance. Two teams have lost two games, so both teams have something to prove. "
Coverage notes and reaction
Timothy Abraham produced a report reliving West Indies' stunning 107-run victory over Zimbabwe. A line in the coverage added: "It was an absolute cracker and we really enjoyed taking you through it. " Readers were invited to have their say using the "Get Involved" button on the page.
The coverage also included a short reflective line: "Re: my earlier prediction for an Eng v Zim final. In retrospect, perhaps not. "
Organisers noted the schedule for the following day, with a match between England and Pakistan and live text coverage starting at 13: 00 GMT.
Immediate implications
The comprehensive win consolidated West Indies' place at the top of Group 1 on net run-rate and marked a fifth consecutive tournament victory for the side as they continue their Super 8 stage campaign. Shimron Hetmyer certainly pulled things out of the bag with the bat, but Gudakesh Motie should certainly receive some plaudits for his exploits with the ball in hand.
West Indies' 254-6, Hetmyer 85 off 34 with a 19-ball fifty, Powell 59 off 35; Zimbabwe 147 (17. 4 overs), Evans 43, Motie 4-28, Hosein 3-28 — all details above are drawn from the match coverage.
Closing note: West Indies' dominant win in Mumbai on the Super 8 stage stands as a clear statement in the T20 World Cup campaign and leaves both teams with lessons to take forward.
