WORLD T20, 5TH MATCH Zimbabwe pip Scotland by 11 runs

Zimbabwe won their second qualifying match for the ICC World T20 2016 after they came out in front by 11 runs against a feisty Scottish side at Nagpur today.

Scotland were never in the match after they lost their top-order inside five overs into the chase. Zimbabwe bowlers stuck to their plans and kept up the pressure from both ends.

For Scotland, only Ritchie Berrington, captain Preston Mommsen and Josh Davey reached double figures while batting. Berrington’s 36 was Scotland’s highest individual score.

Zimbabwe’s Wellington Masakadza took four wickets for 28 runs while Chatara and Tiripano took two wickets each.

Scotland lost their last wicket when a slower ball for Tiripano cleaned up Evans for a duck in the last over.

Zimbabwe bowler Tiripano gave his side a timely breakthrough in the 18th over as Scottish batters managed to score some quick runs late in the innings.

Berrington guided his shot straight into the hands of short third man after scoring 36 from 39 balls with a four and a six to his name.

Wellington Masakadza picked his fourth wicket with the last ball in his spell when Scotland tail-ender Sharif was stumped for one runs in the 15th over.

Sharif came out of the crease but failed to make contact. Zimbabwe keeper Mutumbani enjoyed his fourth dismissal of the day!

Zimbabwe’s Wellington Masakadza grabbed his third wicket of the match and hammered the last nails into Scotland’s coffin. He got the wicket of Mommsen when the batter failed to clear the fielder at cover.

Mommsen scored a breezy 31 from 27 balls with two hits across the fence.

Scotland found some solace in their sixth-wicket partnership between captain Mommsen and Ritchie. They managed to halt the slide, and scored 51 runs in 6.3 overs.

Zimbabwe dealt a massive blow to Scotland’s chase when Williams got the wicket of Leask in the eight over.

Leask was stumped for nine runs when he went for a big hit, jumped down the track, missed the ball and the keeper didn’t make any mistake.

Scotland lost their fourth wicket in the fourth over and looked down the barrel. Coetzer was sent back to the pavilion by a one-handed stunning catch by Sikandar Raza.

Coetzer checked his drive and lobbed the ball in the air, Raza at short cover flew to his right and grabbed it with one hand. Zimbabwe’s Chatara was delighted with his fielder’s effort.

Wellington Masakadza dismissed Scotland batsman Machan in the third over as the batsman suffered a brain-freeze after scoring nine runs.

Scotland reeling…

Chatara got his first wicket of the game when he sent back Scottish batter Cross for a golden-duck in the second over. Cross hanged his bat outside off and nicked the ball behind to the keeper.

Scotland lost their first wicket in the first over of their chase when Munsey was stumped for eight runs. Wellington pulled his length back outside off, fooled Munsey in flight and the keeper did the rest.

Scotland were unable to make an impression during their chase, and lost wickets in a heap early to find themselves in a rut, a deep rut.

Earlier, Zimbabwe managed to score 148 for seven after 20 overs against a feisty Scotland team thanks to a quick-fire fifty from Sean Williams at Nagpur today.

Scotland bowlers kept their side in the game with wickets at crucial junctures of the game. None of the Zimbabwean partnerships were allowed to exceed 38 runs on a day when three Scottish bowlers took two wickets each.

Mark Watt was most impressive during his spells, and took two for 21 in four overs.

For Zimbabwe, Seam Williams was the highest run-getter with 53 from 36 balls while several batters got out in the twenties.

Scotland got their sixth breakthrough in the 18th over when Sharif got the better of Sean Williams.

Williams scooped a full toss straight to the fielder at backward square leg. He was the mainstay in Zimbabwe’s faltering innings, and contributed immensely to his team’s cause with his third T20I half century today.

The Zimbabwean batter scored 53 runs from 36 balls and smashed six fours to the delight of his teammates. Williams kept scoring from one end when wickets fell around him.

Just when Zimbabwe looked to up the ante, and scored some quick runs, Scotland bowler mark Watt threw a spanner in their works!

Zimbabwe lost their fifth wicket, that of Waller after an enterprising partnership of 38 runs in four overs with Williams. Waller made 13 before he was sent back to the pavilion.

Scotland were rewarded for their disciplined effort on the field when Evans took his second wicket of the game to put his side on top.

Sikandar Raza went back, played inside the line and the ball straightened a touch and kissed the outside of the off stump two-thirds the way up. He couldn’t score more than nine runs.

Zimbabwe found the going get tougher after Scotland’s Mark Watt struck in the ninth over. Mutumbani was dismissed for 19 runs from 17 balls when he failed to clear the fielder at long-off.

The fielder at the boundary missed the catch on the first attempt, but leaned back and plucked it out of thin air on the rebound with one hand…spectacular catch leaves Zimbabwe reeling!

Scotland found themselves in the driver’s seat early as Zimbabwe lost two wickets inside five overs after they came out to bat.

Vusi Sibanda’s painful stay of 12 balls was ended by Evans in the fifth over. Sibanda scored four runs before he pulled a short ball straight down the throat of deep backward square leg.

Scotland players rushed to congratulate the fielder and the entire team was buoyed by their second breakthrough early in this match.

Zimbabwe lost their first wicket in the fourth over, when an unfortunate collision between Masakadza and Sibanda resulted in the latter ending up a cut and the former leaving the field.

Both Zimbabwe openers were guilty of ball watching and rammed into each other. Masakadza was eventually run-out for 12 runs. He faced 10 balls and struck three fours.

Zimbabwe skipper Hamilton Masakadza won the toss and didn’t hesitate to bat first given the conditions at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Jamtha, Nagpur against Scotland led by Preston Mommsen in the Group B qualifying match of ICC World T20 2016.

The World Twenty20 qualifiers are not like any ‘milk-runs’ for even the best of teams. Zimbabwe were challenged by Hong Kong but held on to a 14-run win to open the tournament. Scotland, however began on a losing note, and sunk to a 14-run defeat against Afghanistan in the second match, despite a brisk start in the chase.

Zimbabwe are up and running, a step closer to the tournament proper while Scotland need to win from now and hope other results get tipped in their favour.

Zimbabwe may want to add a more attacking spinner to their arsenal but with Graeme Cremer out injured, their only other option is Tendai Chisoro, who went wicketless in the warm-ups against West Indies and HPCA XI.

If they are after a change in the batting line-up, they could make space for Peter Moor or Chamu Chibhabha but only by leaving someone like Sikandar Raza or Malcolm Waller out.

Scotland’s pace attack adjusted well to very their pace and slow Afghanistan briefly on Tuesday, and they may also think of bringing in another spinner considering the Nagpur pitch.

Allrounder Con de Lange, who bowls left-arm spin, could complement the 19-year-old legspinner Mark Watt.

Scotland

KJ Coetzer, HG Munsey, MH Cross (Wicketkeeper), MW Machan, RD Berrington, PL Mommsen (Captain), MA Leask, JH Davey, SM Sharif, MRJ Watt and AC Evans

Zimbabwe

H Masakadza (Captain), V Sibanda, R Mutumbami (Wicketkeeper), SC Williams, MN Waller, Sikandar Raza, E Chigumbura, DT Tiripano, T Panyangara, WP Masakadza and TL Chatara