Zimbabwe defeat Netherlands in qualifier

Taylor, Masakadza keep Twenty20 hopes alive.

SYLHET: Skipper Brendan Taylor and Hamilton Masakadza kept Zimbabwe’s hopes alive in the World Twenty20 tournament Wednesday with a hard-fought five-wicket win over the Netherlands in Sylhet.

Taylor hit a solid 39-ball 49 while Masakadza scored 43 off 45 balls to help Zimbabwe pass their 141-run target with a six off the last ball.

When Taylor was dismissed after hitting two fours and a six, 15 runs were needed off the last 11 balls.

When the last over began, seven were still needed.

Sean Williams hit a lucky boundary and then ran himself out for 26 with the scores tied.

But Vusi Sibanda hit paceman Ahsan Malik for a huge six to give Zimbabwe victory.

Taylor said there was still plenty of room for improvement.

“We committed very basic errors on the boundary which cost us 10-15 runs,” he said. “It wasn’t good enough for a professional outfit.

“Hopefully, we can rectify that against the UAE and we’ll be a chance.”

Netherlands skipper Peter Borren felt his team fell 20 runs short.

“That said, we’ve got a good varied bowling attack, but we would have been confident with 150,” he said.

The Netherlands, who won the toss and batted, were lifted from a precarious 19-3 to 140-5 by a fighting 58-ball 72 not out from Tom Cooper, including nine fours and a six.

Cooper added an invaluable 52 for the fifth wicket with brother Ben Cooper (20) after spinner Prosper Utseya (2-24) had dismissed opener Stefan Myburgh for a duck off the third ball of the innings.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2014.

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