Windies cruise by Zimbabwe in T20 World Cup Super 8 action
The West Indies produced a statement performance at Wankhede Stadium, crushing Zimbabwe by 107 runs to open their Super Eights campaign in emphatic fashion on Monday.
Pre-match markets had installed the Caribbean side as clear favourites with betting sites at around 1.22, with Zimbabwe priced near 4.50 following their shock victories earlier in the tournament, which included wins over Australia and Sri Lanka.
Also read: T20 World Cup betting guide
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza elected to bowl after winning the toss, a decision that quickly backfired as the West Indies batting line-up unleashed a relentless assault. Shimron Hetmyer spearheaded the charge, blasting 85 from just 34 deliveries as the West Indies surged to 6-254, the second-highest total in T20 World Cup history.
Hetmyer survived an early reprieve when a straightforward chance was spilled, a miss Zimbabwe would pay dearly for. The left-hander accelerated rapidly, reaching his half-century in just 19 balls.
“It does feel good to have achieved something like that, but as a team, we haven’t really accomplished anything yet,” Hetymer said.
“It’s just one game, and there’s still a long way to go. We’re taking it one game at a time and just trying to keep pushing forward.”
Zimbabwe’s pursuit never gained traction. Akeal Hosein struck early to leave the innings in disarray before Gudakesh Motie’s 4-28 dismantled the middle order. Zimbabwe were eventually dismissed for 147, with Brad Evans providing late resistance.
The West Indies next clash is with South Africa on Thursday, while they will close out their Super 8 matches against India on Monday. The scenario is simple for the Windies, win one of these matches and they will advance through to the semi-finals, likely at the expense of hosts India.
