Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka now favourites… as Windies face near-certain elimination

SHOCK and predictability came in equal measure during the group stages of the Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe which finished on Tuesday with the early elimination of minnows Nepal, USA and the UAE raising no eyebrows.

The entire cricket-playing world, however, is still digesting the near certainty that two-time champions, the West Indies, will not be at the World Cup in India which begins in October. The men from the Caribbean lost to hosts Zimbabwe by 35-runs before losing to the Netherlands in a dramatic Super Over having posted a daunting total of 374-6 in their 50 overs.

But a century from Teja Nidamanuru led the Dutch in an extraordinary run-chase leading to the Super Over. Logan van Beek, who had scored 28 from 14 balls batting at No 8 before being brilliantly caught by Jason Holder off the final ball, was tasked with facing the first ball of the Super Over – bowled by Holder.

He smashed a record 30 runs from the six balls and then claimed 2-8 with the ball for another record, Super Over victory. Only points earned against fellow-qualifiers are carried through to the Super Six stage which has left the West Indies without any points following victories against non-qualifiers Nepal and the USA.

Not only will they need to win all three games in the next round – against Sri Lanka, Scotland and Oman – but they will need to hope that either Sri Lanka or Zimbabwe lose twice. And even then they will have to rely on net run-rate to progress.

But test-playing Ireland’s failure to reach the Super Six stage of the tournament was completely unexpected following a shock loss to Oman and a nail-biting one-wicket loss to Scotland who also reached the second stage of the tournament.

Zimbabwe have been in magnificent form thrashing Nepal and the USA against whom they passed 400 for the first time. Their 35-run victory against the West Indies was no fluke, outplaying the men from the Caribbean in front of a capacity, passionate crowd at the Harare Sports Club.

The hosts and Sri Lanka both carry a maximum four points into the Super Sixes and are guaranteed a place in the final — and the World Cup — if they win all three of their remaining matches.

Oman are in a similarly hopeless position to the West Indies but Scotland and the Netherlands, with two points each, harbour an outsider chance of World Cup qualification if they can cause further upsets and other results go in their favour. — supersport.com