ZIM vs USA

That brings us to the end of sportskeeda's coverage for this WC Qualifier clash. USA just managed to play half of their allotted overs. A crushing win for Zimbabwe. Time for us to bid goodbye from the comm box. This is myself (Arya Sekhar Chakraborty) signing off also on behalf of my fellow commentator and good mate Pradeep. 

Sean Williams (Zimbabwe captain): The win is very pleasing. The intensity they showed was quite exceptional. That’s the same message for each time. There is a pattern of play we want to follow and the guys are slowly getting into the set-up. All the small little contributions play a big part in going us. It was great fielding, it’s a step in the right direction. Not much would change the way we approach the game. We have found our momentum. The venue will be different but still will be a home crowd though. It’s like having a 12th match. Will miss our fans in Harare. Hope Raza will make the Bulawayo crowd sing and dance as well.

Monank Patel [USA captain]: Not fit 100%, still there's weakness, never experienced earlier but hopefully I'm 100% fit next game. It's really tough, the group is struggling with illness, we haven't played to our potential but we will come back stronger mentally in the next game. I think, our batting has been struggling, bowling was decent but we need to improve a lot with the bat. Fielding, we need to take catches and could've restricted them. It all started one by one, getting the flu in the last two days and hopefully they can recover and we should be playing our best XI.

Sean Williams is the Player of the Match! Here's what he has to say: Don't think would've played it better, all the players helped and you guys inspired us. To be honest, doesn't really matter at that stage of the game and with Raza at the other end, it makes thing easy and rotation of the strike is important. Loving batting at number 3, big achievement for me. I used to get in and get out earlier, but have learned from my mistakes and today it paid off. [On Charles Coventry's record] At the end of the day, it was possible, I did try but it wasn't impossible. Nothing wrong with the groin.

Zimbabwe won by 304 runs

USA 104 all-out in 25.1 overs

Abhishek Paradkar 24(31) | Jasdeep Singh 21(26)
Sikandar Raza 2/15(5) | Richard Ngarava 2/25(8)

It was an emphatic all-round showing by Zimbabwe as they thrashed aside USA by 304 runs to continue their commanding show in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers. They looked by far the better team all through the day. After posting 408, it was always going to be an uphill task for USA but they wouldn't have expected the top order to surrender so meekly. Earlier in the day, it was a masterclass from Sean Williams which powered Zimbabwe to their first-ever 400+ score in ODIs. 

USA was never in the game as the two new ball bowlers Richard Ngarava and Bradley Evans produced a masterful opening spell, dismissing the top three without too much fuss. Steven Taylor, Sushant Modani and Monank Patel were the casualties. Just when Gajanand Singh and Aaron Jones started to build a partnership, a horrible mix-up cost them the skipper Jones and in an identical fashion Shayan Jahangir was dismissed a ball later. 

That totally put the match to bed as Zimbabwe continued their rampant show. Abhishek Paradkar and Jasdeep Singh chipped in with 20 odds during the final stages of the match but that wasn't going to make any change in the context of the game. Zimbabwe went onto win by 304 runs, registering the 2nd biggest victory by runs in the history of ODI cricket.

25.1 Ryan Burl to Nosthush Kenjige, RUN-OUT! It's all over and Zimbabwe annihilate USA here, yet another dominant win and they are on fire in this qualifier. Replay confirms that Kenjige is well short as Burl whips the bails off. Length delivery on the off-stump, Kenjige sweeps it straight to short fine-leg. Rafiq takes off and Kenjige is ball watch, takes off late and the throw comes to Burl who does the rest. It's the second biggest margin of victory by Zimbabwe in the history of ODI's!

Zimbabwe trying to finish off things quickly here. This has been a commanding performance. Just as expected, the game heading towards a tam end. 

24.6 Richard Ngarava to Nosthush Kenjige, yorker length outside the off-stump, Kenjige throws his bat but squirts it down to third-man for one.

24.5 Richard Ngarava to Nosthush Kenjige, OH! Clever change of pace, dips a full delivery on the stumps. Kenjiged backed away but decides to wait and defend.

24.3 Richard Ngarava to Nosthush Kenjige, FOUR! Full and outside the off-stump, Kenjige reaches and thrashes it through the covers and finds the ropes.

24.1 Richard Ngarava to Nosthush Kenjige, back of a length delivery, angled in on the stumps. Kenjige went back and defends it back to the bowler.