Williams’ 142 fashions tight victory for Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe 332 for 7 (Williams 142, Jongwe 43*, Raza 42, Butt 4-79) beat Oman 318 for 9 (Prajapati 103, Ayaan 47, Ilyas 45, Muzarabani 3-57, Chatara 3-73) by 14 runs
A valiant Oman fell achingly in need of the end line, as Sean Williams‘ 142 trumped Kashyap Prajapati‘s 103 – the primary ton by an Oman batter towards an ICC full member – to assist Zimbabwe safe a slender but essential 14-run win to kick off the Super Six stage.
Williams’ masterful innings was aided by cameos from Sikandar Raza and Luke Jongwe, together with a number of different helpful contributions proper all through the order. Then with the ball, Tendai Chatara and Blessing Muzarabani picked up three apiece, and Richard Ngarava grabbed a pair to stall Oman’s cost.
The outcome means Zimbabwe have one foot within the World Cup correct, with one other win from their subsequent two video games securing qualification – although they’ll qualify even with two losses, offered different outcomes go their manner.
For Oman, whereas their possibilities of qualifying are actually nearly non-existent by advantage of their inferior web run price, their efficiency was yet one more reminder of the closing hole between Associate nations and their full-member counterparts.
Oman will rue missed alternatives with every of Williams, Raza and Craig Ervine dropped, whereas there have been additionally a number of straightforward runs given away and run-out probabilities missed. By distinction, Zimbabwe grabbed each inch, most notably when Raza accomplished an awe-inspiring over-the-shoulder seize to dismiss the set Prajapati.
In the twilight of his profession, Williams is presently on the peak of his powers, placing up scarcely plausible numbers. In Bulawayo, a floor the place he has performed numerous hours of membership cricket, he struck a 103-ball 142 – almost turning into the second man after Sanath Jayasuriya to attain back-to-back scores of 150 or extra in ODIs. His common is vying together with his strike price, and he’s now on 532 runs for the match with three extra video games doubtlessly left to play.
On Thursday, he arrived within the center overs and shifted gears effortlessly. The floor in Bulawayo was not utterly to the batters’ liking however in Williams, Zimbabwe had a person for all events.
He was a part of key partnerships all through – 64 with Wessly Madhevere, 103 with Raza, 41 with Ryan Burl for 41 and at last 21 with Jongwe. In every of these, Williams was the extra dominant accomplice, discovering boundaries throughout the bottom when wanted. Only the superb Kaleemullah managed to maintain him to a strike price of lower than 100 (90).
When Williams fell with nonetheless 5 overs left, Oman may need had hopes of getting in a number of miserly overs however Zimbabwe’s tail wagged considerably – by way of a mix of wonderful working, streaky boundaries and fielding lapses – to take 55 off the ultimate 5.
At that stage, with a goal of 333 set, on a observe that wasn’t precisely simple to bat on, Oman went about their chase with the nous of extra seasoned campaigners – by no means letting the required price get out of hand, discovering boundaries when mandatory and limiting dot balls.
But the place Oman had offered the Zimbabwean batters with respiratory room, Zimbabwe saved the strain on, and when the probabilities got here they did not flinch. Though nobody was stunned; they’ve solely been doing all of it match.