Raza, Taylor onslaught takes Zimbabwe to 380/6
Whirlwind centuries from Brendan Taylor and Sikandar Raza got Zimbabwe’s ICC World Cup Qualifier 2018 campaign off to a flyer.
Batting first in overcast conditions, a 66-ball 123 by Raza and a 91-ball 100 by Taylor helped hosts Zimbabwe to a towering 380/6 in 50 overs in their opening game against Nepal at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo in their Group B match on Sunday, 4 March.
Cephas Zhuwao and Solomon Mire, the openers, got the innings off to a blazing start, scoring 77 in just seven overs before Sandeep Lamichhane trapped Zhuwao lbw for 41. The opener smoked three fours and four sixes during his 23-ball stint.
Mire soon brought up his half-century, his fourth in ODIs, off just 37 deliveries. It included five fours and three sixes.
Just when it seemed Zimbabwe were taking the game away from Nepal completely, Basant Regmi, the left-arm spinner, struck. He first accounted for Hamilton Masakadza for 16 and then got the big wicket of Mire who ran straight past a flighted delivery to be stumped for 52.
Brendan Taylor and Craig Ervine ensured the hosts did not lose their way. The experienced duo forged a crucial 77-run stand for the fourth wicket in 98 deliveries to get Zimbabwe to the 200-mark in the 31st over.
Ervine, however, could not stay for much longer, edging Lalit Rajbanshi behind for 34.
At 200/4, Sikandar Raza walked out to loud cheers from the Bulawayo crowd and he sure did not disappoint. He got into his stride early and with Taylor already well set, started attacking right from the start.
None of the Nepal bowlers were spared as he carted seven fours and nine humongous sixes, bringing up his fourth ODI century off just 59 deliveries.
Taylor, reached his 10th ODI ton the very next delivery, taking 90 deliveries for the milestone.
Both batsmen were dismissed in the 49th over by Sompal Kami, but not before adding 173 runs in just 107 balls. Zimbabwe had smashed 103 runs in their last ten overs.