Crushing defeat for Canada

Zimbabwe began their ICC Tri-Series with a 141-run victory over Canada, bowling them out for just 75.

This win follows a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of West Indies, highlighting the difference in the standards of the two teams.

Zimbabwean captain Terry Duffin won the toss and elected to bat at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. However, opening the batting, he didn’t get off to as a good a start as he would have liked, he was caught behind off Henry Osinde for three.

Justice Chibhabha, who impressed against West Indies, and Piet Rinke, who failed to reach double figures gave Zimbabwe a solid base. Chibabha was the more reserved of the two, taking 80 balls for his 37. Rinke decided to hit out, and hit two sixes in his 73 off 62 balls.

With Vusi Sibanda falling cheaply to Kevin Sandher, who finished with 2-32, Brendan Taylor and Elton Chigumbura saved Zimbabwe from a collapse, and moved them towards 200. Both were dismissed within four runs of each other, leaving the tail to take them past 200. After two run-outs Tawanda Mupariwa hit two boundaries to guide them to 216.

Canada’s chase of 217 started disastrously. Both openers, including the explosive John Davison were run out, and Mupariwa and Blessing Mahwire removed the next two batsmen. Wicketkeeper Ashish Bagai hit two fours and a six, but when he was caught off Mahwire Canada were 22-5. Huninder Dhillon and Sunil Dhaniram, who took 2-34, both reached the teens, but were unable to get any more.

At 55-7, Canada were out of the came, and added just 20 more runs to the total before number eleven Osinde was caught off Ryan Higgins.

Zimbabwe 216-8
Piet Rinke 73, Brendan Taylor 37, Justice Chibabha 37
Kevin Sandher 2-32, Sunil Dhaniram 2-34

Canada 75 all out
Ashish Bagai 16, Sunil Dhaniram 14, Haninder Dhillon 13
Tawanda Mupariwa 3-30, Blessing Mahwire 2-21

Zimbabwe win by 141 runs

Cricket Web Man of the Match: Tawanda Mupariwa