On Thursday, June 29, Zimbabwe defeated Oman by 14 runs in the first match of the Super Six round of the ICC World Cup Qualifier 2023. Sean Williams, the veteran all-rounder, hit his third century in World Cup Qualifier action as Zimbabwe held off Oman’s late revival at Bulawayo’s Queens Sports Club. With this win, they are inching closer towards the 50 Over World Cup in India. They are now one win away from booking their ticket to India.
Williams continues his red-hot form
Sean Williams continued his red-hot form in the qualifiers after being forced to bat first, giving Zimbabwe a flying start. Captain Craig Ervine returned to bat, but only scored 21 runs before being caught out by Fayyaz Butt’s delivery. Despite a strong start, Wickekeepe batters Joylord Gumbie and Wesley Madhevere both failed to score significant runs.
But in-form Williams and Sikandar Raza produced a 102-run stand for the fourth wicket to keep Zimbabwe on track for a big total. Raza scored 42 off 49 while Williams top-scored with 142 off 103 with the help of 14 fours and three sixes. Pacer Luke Jongwe smashed 43* off 28 as Zimbabwe scored a total of 332/7. Pacer Fayyaz Butt took four wickets, including valuable wickets on Williams and Raza, for Oman.
While chasing a mammoth target, India-born opener Kashyap Prajapati recorded his maiden international hundred to keep Oman’s hopes for a successful chase alive. He scored 103 off 97 and Aqib Ilyas and Ayaan Khan added crucial knocks to keep the game balanced till the end.
Tendai Chatara and Blessing Muzarabani, both in form, took three wickets to help Zimbabwe defend 39 runs in the last 18 balls. Chatara dismissed Zeeshan Maqsood on the final ball of the innings to lead Zimbabwe to a well-deserved 14-run victory. With the victory, Zimbabwe topped the Super Six round table with six points and now only needs two points to qualify for the ICC World Cup in India.
Zimbabwe has a strong chance of making the World Cup. They demonstrated how far they have come as a team in recent years by historically defeating Pakistan at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Perth. They are a force to be reckoned with, and the hosts may need to be on their toes because of the talent and expertise of Sikander Raza and Craig Ervine.
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