Zimbabwe has won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B by beating the Netherlands and securing last place in Group B in the first round in Australia 2022 alongside Ireland, Scotland and the West Indies. Australia will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in seven host cities for the first time ever between October 16 and November 13, 2022, with Geelong and Hobart hosting the first round.
Zimbabwe’s first match will take place on the second day of the Men’s T20 World Cup against Ireland in Hobart on October 17. The evening game will be played as part of a double-header, with the West Indies facing Scotland in the afternoon game.
Second place The Netherlands will play their first match against the United Arab Emirates on the opening day of the World Cup in Geelong together with Sri Lanka, Namibia and the United Arab Emirates in Group A. This will be an evening match in which the 2014 champion of Sri Lanka will face Namibia in the T20 World Cup opener.
On a day of low-scoring encounters in the Men’s ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier B, host nation Zimbabwe took a 37-run victory over the Netherlands in the final, despite being limited to just 132 at bats. Sikandar Raza was the hero for the home side, taking four for eight from his four overs during a period when the Orange lost six wickets for just 17 runs.
Logan van Beek (3/18) had previously played a key role for the Netherlands, removing both skipper Craig Ervine and Raza as Zimbabwe dropped from 93 for three to 132 all-out.
In response, the Netherlands got off to a decent start, sitting at 45 for two before the wickets began to tumble, with Raza holding onto Stephan Myburgh’s (22) leg earlier for his first wicket and arguably the most important of the match.
Zimbabwe Captain Craig Ervine said: “It’s unbelievable. This is how we used to know cricket in Zimbabwe, all the supporters came out and cheered for us. And for the past week, we’ve certainly given them something to cheer about. From the players’ point of view, it’s good to see the cheering and happiness reflected in the crowd.
“We need to focus on what we did this week. The first round of the World Cup is in October, so there’s plenty of time between now and then to chat and think about how we’re going to handle that.”
Dutch Captain Scott Edwardssaid: “Both teams came here to win and they were too good for us today. We got what we came for in qualifying for the World Cup, it’s just a little disappointing that we couldn’t perform in the final.”
“Every group (at the World Cup) has its challenges, so we will prepare for Australia and the teams we play against and see how we go,” he added.
group A: Namibia, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Netherlands
Group B: Ireland, Scotland, West Indies, Zimbabwe
promoted
Group 1: Afghanistan, Australia, England, New Zealand, Winner Group A, Second Group B
Group 2: India, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh, Runner Up Group A, Winner Group B
Topics mentioned in this article