MUMBAI: Shimron Hetmyer smashed a 19-ball half-century as the West Indies cricket team crushed Zimbabwe national cricket team by 107 runs in their opening Super Eights match at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Sunday.
Hetmyer’s blistering 85 off 34 balls, featuring seven fours and seven sixes, propelled the two-time champions to 254-6 in Mumbai — the second-highest total in the tournament’s history behind Sri Lanka national cricket team’s 260-6 against Kenya in 2007.
The left-hander brought up the fastest fifty by a West Indian at a T20 World Cup, reaching the landmark in just 19 deliveries, as West Indies extended their winning run and moved top of Group One on net run rate ahead of South Africa.
After Zimbabwe opted to bowl, they struck early when Brandon King fell in the third over. Blessing Muzarabani nearly dismissed Hetmyer soon after, but Tashinga Musekiwa dropped him at long on — the first of two costly chances.
Hetmyer capitalised, hammering five sixes in his final six balls faced before completing his half-century in the eighth over. He shared a 122-run stand for the third wicket with captain Rovman Powell, who scored 59 off 35 balls.
Sherfane Rutherford added an unbeaten 31 from 13 deliveries as West Indies plundered 46 runs in the final three overs.
Chasing a daunting 255, Zimbabwe’s reply unravelled quickly. Akeal Hosein removed two batters in a maiden over as the African side slumped to 20-3 inside three overs.
Spinner Gudakesh Motie then dismantled the middle order with figures of 4-28, including the wickets of captain Sikandar Raza and Musekiwa in successive deliveries.
Dion Myers (28) and Brad Evans (43) offered brief resistance, but Zimbabwe were bowled out for 147 to suffer their first defeat of the campaign.
Zimbabwe next face defending champions India on Thursday, while West Indies meet last edition’s finalists South Africa in a top-of-the-table clash.
