Taylor keeps Zimbabwe in WT20 reckoning

Cricket365
March 19, 2014

The cool, calm and collection of captain Brendan Taylor steered Zimbabwe to a tight five-wicket victory over the Netherlands in Wednesday's crucial World Twenty20 First Round Group B fixture at Sylhet Stadium in Bangladesh.

The cool, calm and collection of captain Brendan Taylor steered Zimbabwe to a tight five-wicket victory over the Netherlands in a crucial World Twenty20 First Round Group B fixture at Sylhet Stadium in Bangladesh.

Defeated in a last-ball thriller against Ireland earlier this month, the Zimbabweans finished on the desired end of the result on Wednesday, as the hard-hitting Vusi Sibanda struck a victorious six to complete the entertaining closing throes.

The outstanding form of batsman Tom Cooper had earlier pushed the Dutch to a telling total of 140 for five. The Australian-born Cooper, a late call-up to the squad and the recipient of a fine Man of the Match performance against the United Arab Emirates, recently struck nine fours and a six en route to a brisk 72 not out.

The African unit cherished a disciplined day in the field, with livewire groundwork typified by the talented Tendai Chatara's run-out of opener Michael Swart and superb catching contributing to an achievable target.

Zimbabwe's pursuit was built on the back of opener Hamilton Masakadza's authoritative 43 and Taylor's commanding 49. All-rounder Sean Williams, too, contributed through a stop-start middle order unaided by the cavalier Elton Chigumbura's duck.

Captain Peter Borran's outstanding catch to remove Man of the Match Taylor in the 19th over threatened to swing the result Holland's direction, but Williams and Sibanda accrued a collection of twos and singles to all but conclude the contest. A huge six off the final delivery, struck high and hard over the long-on boundary by the right-handed Sibanda, duly capped the festivities.

The outcome sprung Zimbabwe to the top of the group and pushed the Dutch to second. leaving the second half of a quest for a berth in the second stage of the coveted Twenty20 competition wide open.