Holder, Samuels take West Indies closer to World Cup

Brendan Taylor scored his 10th one-day international hundred but received little support in Zimbabwe’s 289 all out.

West Indies 290 for 6 (Samuels 86, Hope 76, Muzarabani 2-36) beat Zimbabwe 289 all out (Taylor 138, Mire 45, Holder 4-35, Roach 3-55) by four wickets 

CLINCHINGC close matches and playing out last-gasp finishes have become a habit for Zimbabwe in this tournament. For once, however, the result went against them as West Indies won by four wickets to record their fifth-highest successful chase in ODI history. This meant they were well in control of their fate heading into their final group fixture against Scotland.

Brendan Taylor scored his 10th one-day international hundred but received little support in Zimbabwe’s 289 all out. In response, West Indies lost Chris Gayle early, but a 135-run third wicket stand between Shai Hope and Marlon Samuels tipped the chase in West Indies’ favour. Late wickets raised hopes of an unlikely comeback for Zimbabwe, but Rovman Powell’s nerveless cameo helped avoid any last-minute hiccups as West Indies won with an over to spare.

West Indies’ hopes hinged on a quickfire Gayle start, but Zimbabwe may have entertained hopes of extending their unbeaten run in the tournament when he was out slicing to third man off Blessing Muzarabani in thw sixth over. But Hope and Lewis saw the shine off the ball and cashed in on anything loose on a surface that was bouncy but true throughout the day.

Lewis cracked seven fours and a six, doing the bulk of the scoring in a partnership of 72 with Hope who, as is his won’t, eased himself in. When Lewis played too early, and with hard hands, to give Sikandar Raza a simple caught-and-bowled chance in the 22nd over, Samuels joined Hope at the crease. The two men aren’t entirely dissimilar in style, with neither liable to take undue risks early in their innings. Taking their time and occupying the crease, they simply waited for Zimbabwe’s bowlers to make mistakes.

The bounce in the track took the bite out of what is usually Zimbabwe’s strength: their spinners. Deliveries that might have shot through at the shins in Bulawayo stood up on this hard surface, and Samuels’ first three boundaries all came from long hops. Adjusting their lengths with the field spread, the spinners managed to stop a boundary being hit between the 26th and 35th overs, but defensive fields simply seemed to entrench two batsmen as obdurate as Hope and Samuels.

Hope’s umpteenth single took him to a 71-ball fifty in the 34th over and, seemingly taking that as his cue, Samuels immediately shifted from second to fifth gear. Raza’s offspin was flambeed over long off for two enormous sixes, and Samuels then added two more sixes and a four to take 18 off an over from Cremer. A run rate that had been climbing steadily now dipped below seven. Between times, Samuels passed fifty and, having started well behind Hope, he now raced ahead of him.

But his exertions on a warm afternoon began to take its toll, and as Samuels started to cramp up his mobility at the crease suffered. He swiped two more brutal boundaries off Muzarabani, but then pushed flat-footed at one that left him off the pitch to be well caught by a tumbling Taylor behind the stumps. Samuels’ dismissal sparked an electric turnaround in the field from the wilting Zimbabweans, and the next two overs witnessed two sixes, a four, and three wickets as West Indies threatened to commit harakiri. But with two overs to go, West Indies needing 11, Powell boldly stepped out to hit Sean Williams for six over long on to close out the game.

“If you put in a big performance, it would make it that much sweeter actually getting over the line, knowing that you’ve contributed,” Taylor said afterwards. Yet despite the fact that it wasn’t a match-winning hundred, Taylor’s innings was still one of the finest to be witnessed at this ground. It also made him Zimbabwe’s leading century-maker in this format, moving ahead of Alistair Campbell.

Taylor had work to do when he first got to the crease this morning. With Cephas Zhuwao gloving to fine leg, Hamilton Masakadza removed by a brutal lifter from Jason Holder and Solomon Mire forced to retire by a bouncer that struck him on the right side of his helmet grille and forced him off the field because of blurred vision, Zimbabwe were effectively reduced to 30 for 3.

Craig Ervine helped him to steady the innings, while Sean Williams helped to hoist the mainsail with a bellicose 34 at better than a run a ball. Together they helped to keep Zimbabwe ticking at five an over, or thereabouts, but it wasn’t until Raza joined him at the crease that Taylor really began to let loose. Together they rattled along with a boundary an over, with Taylor fittingly reaching his hundred with a reverse sweep.

Raza was given out in controversial circumstances when he was out caught, only for replays to suggest Holder may have overstepped. The third umpire thought otherwise. It was a moment that may have well cost Zimbabwe the 20 extra runs they desperately needed at the end. Despite the loss, however, Zimbabwe need just the win against UAE in their final Super Six game to seal a place at the 2019 World Cup. – espncricinfo.com