The Zimbabwe cricket team made a resounding statement on the opening day of the tournament as they chased down a challenging target of 291 against Nepal. After winning the toss, Zimbabwe elected to bowl and began the match with consecutive maidens, applying early pressure on the Nepalese batsmen. However, the opening pair of Aasif Sheikh and Kushal Bhurtel quickly recovered and formed a solid partnership, reaching a half-century in just 12 overs. Despite Zimbabwe’s efforts to control the run rate, the Nepal openers laid a strong foundation, with Bhurtel being the more aggressive of the two.
As Sheikh struggled to accelerate, Bhurtel continued to find the boundaries, and the openers forged a massive 171-run partnership for the first wicket. The tide turned when Wellington Mazakadza dismissed both well-set batsmen in successive overs, depriving Bhurtel of a well-deserved century. Captain Rohit Paudel and Kushal Malla then stabilized the innings and contributed a vital 72 runs for the third wicket. By the end of 43 overs, Nepal had reached a respectable total of 246/2 and seemed poised to surpass the 300-run mark. However, Zimbabwe mounted an impressive comeback, taking regular wickets and restricting Nepal’s progress. Richard Ngarava stood out with a four-wicket haul, and Nepal finished their innings at 290.
In the chase, Zimbabwe got off to a promising start, with captain Craig Ervine and Joylord Gumbie adding 45 runs for the opening wicket. Ervine and Madhavere then formed a crucial 82-run partnership, but halfway through the innings, the match remained evenly poised with Nepal slightly ahead due to the required run rate. The arrival of Sean Williams injected much-needed momentum into Zimbabwe’s innings during the middle overs. Williams wasted no time in finding the boundary, and his partnership with Ervine turned the game in Zimbabwe’s favor. Ervine reached his century, while Williams’ aggressive strokeplay propelled him from 24 to 56 in no time. Their blistering assault caught Nepal off guard as Zimbabwe reached 239 runs by the end of the 40th over. From that point onward, only one outcome seemed likely as Ervine played a supporting role, allowing Williams to unleash a devastating onslaught on the hapless Nepal attack. Williams reached a remarkable century off just 70 balls, sealing a comprehensive eight-wicket victory for Zimbabwe.
Brief Scores:
Nepal: 290/8 in 50 overs (Kushal Bhurtel 99, Aasif Sheikh 66; Richard Ngarava 4/43)
Zimbabwe: 291/2 in 44.1 overs (Craig Ervine 121*, Sean Williams 102*)
Result: Zimbabwe won by 8 wickets.
