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SIKANDAR RAZA says they are on a grand mission to give 15 million Zimbabweans something to cheer about by qualifying for the ICC Cricket World Cup set for England next year. The all-rounder picked his second man-of-the-match award on Tuesday with a fine show with both the bat and ball in the nervy two-run win over Afghanistan at Queens Sports Club.

“I thought it should have been Blessing or BT (Brendan Taylor) sitting here now with the man-of-the-match because I thought those two were the real heroes,’’ said Raza.

“It wasn’t just me, it was everyone together. It was the character. The way the boys showed courage and we held our composure. Most importantly the way we stayed united out there. And that helped us to win the game.’’

The ICC also described the match as a classic during their live commentary of the match. ‘’What a match. Afghanistan got off to the perfect start. Three wickets for 17 runs. Brendan Taylor came in and started the engine, and although Craig Ervine stalled, once again Sikandar Raza came in and kept the motor running.

‘’Once Taylor and Raza went the brakes were well and truly slammed and Zimbabwe’s lower order crashed from 187/5 to 196 all out. Almost fatal to their chances of winning this match, you might have said.

‘’But they didn’t give up. The motor was kaput, but the spirit of Zimbabwe, and the fantastic crowd at Queens Sports Club wouldn’t let that be the end of their journey.

‘’The first few wickets fell at a promising rate, but then a roadblock came in the form of Rahmat Shah (69) and Mohammad Nabi. But like in the Zimbabwe innings, once they were gone, the road seemed clear. The HGV of Afghanistan had seemingly lost its wheels, with one magical over by Sikandar Raza producing three wickets that were effectively the oil spill that sent the innings careering off the road.

“At 177/9, Dawlat Zadran and Shapoor Zadran had the job of steering Afghanistan down the gravelly hard shoulder to get to the finish. And they almost did.

“Resilient, slow, in hostile conditions, they chugged along into the final over. Just 3 runs were needed. But Brian Vitori dealt the final blow. All 10 wheels had come off. Afghanistan were stranded three short.

“Zimbabwe won by two runs. The crowd went wild. The crowd invaded the pitch. The players weren’t quite sure what to do, but if I had to describe the mood in one word – jubilant! And although this may be just the Cricket World Cup Qualifier, it will surely be remembered for years, not only by Zimbabwe fans, but by cricket fans around the globe.

“Jubilation for Zimbabwe, devastation for Afghanistan! What a thriller. Can you remember a more dramatic finale?’’

Mpumelelo Mbangwa, the former Zimbabwean seamer who is now a SuperSport commentator, congratulated the Chevrons. ‘’That was thrilling even on the internet!! @SRazaB24 you beauty! Well done fellas Not done yet. Stay on it. Big one vs Scotland,’’ he posted on Twitter.

Liam Brickhill, writing on ESPNCricinfo, also gave his view.

“Queens Sports Club doesn’t have the gladiatorial grandeur of Wanderers, the storied history of Lord’s, or the spectacle of Eden Gardens, but during Zimbabwe’s backs-against-the-wall win the electric atmosphere rivalled any match to have taken place on more hallowed grounds,’’ he wrote.

“Zimbabwe’s victory wasn’t so much about individual performances, as it was the combined efforts of the fielders, bowlers and a broiling, festive crowd of spectators. It was high drama, and at the very end, with the tension rising to almost unbearable levels, Afghanistan blinked first.’’ — Sports Reporter/ICC/Cricinfo