Oman showed fight with the bat, but weren’t able to overcome the mammoth Zimbabwe total in the opening game of the Super Six stage. With this, Zimbabwe have six points in their tally on the Super Six table. This was Zimbabwe’s seventh ODI win in a row.
The duo, who had stitched together a crucial 94-run partnership in their win over Ireland earlier in the Qualifier, focused on building a strong foundation and added 50 runs between overs 11-20.
The Chevrons needed a breakthrough before the pair took the game away from them, and Sikandar Raza provided just that. He had Ilyas (45) nick one behind the wicket in the 22nd over, to bring his wicket tally in the tournament to nine.
Skipper Zeeshan Maqsood then joined Prajapati at the wicket, and helped stabilize the Oman innings. However, Maqsood incurred an unfortunate injury when he tried to sweep Wessly Madhevere in the 30th over, and had to leave the field. Prajapati kept at it from his end, and scored his second ODI hundred in the 34th over. His knock included 12 fours and a six.
This was the first 100 by an Oman player against a full-member nation.
However, Oman’s chances were severely hit when Prajapati (103) hit one that ballooned towards the mid-wicket region where Raza ran backwards and plucked out a spectacular catch. Backed by an enthusiastic crowd, Zimbabwe strengthened their hold over the game. Though Oman added 77 runs between overs 36-45, they lost three crucial wickets in that period, including Ayaan Khan (47) who fell just short of a fifty.
A brilliant juggling catch on the rope by Jongwe accounted for Kaleemullah in the 46th over and it looked as if Zimbabwe had sealed the game. Oman showed fight in the death stages, however, Zimbabwe’s accurate bowling carried the day.
In the morning, returning skipper Craig Ervine and Joylord Gumbie were tested by the Oman pacers in the first powerplay, with a number of hits-and-misses and close calls, including a dismissal that was overturned on DRS intervention. Still they managed to hold on, and provided the tournament hosts a steady start.
The Queen Sports Club surface continued unfolding its tricks over the next few overs as the Oman seamers made merry. Ervine (25) was first to go when he swiped and missed against Kaleemullah in the 12th over. Gumbie (21) followed in the very next over, when his mistimed upper cut was pouched by the keeper.
Sean Williams, Zimbabwe’s star from their last encounter, took the lead in run-scoring and along with Wessly Madhevere got the Zimbabwe total past 100 in the 21st over. The duo brought up their half-century stand in merely 51 balls. Their enterprising partnership was finally broken when Oman captain Zeeshan Maqsood got Madhevere stumped in the 23rd over. – ICC-cricket.com
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