Hetmyer 85 leads West Indies to 107‑run win over Zimbabwe
- Southerton Business Times
- 19 hours ago
- 2 min read
MUMBAI — Shimron Hetmyer produced a blistering 85 off 34 balls as West Indies opened the T20 World Cup Super 8 stage with a commanding 107‑run victory over Zimbabwe at the Wankhede Stadium.
Hetmyer smashed seven sixes and seven fours at a strike rate of 250, powering West Indies to a mammoth 254‑6. Rovman Powell added a brisk 59 off 35. At the same time, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, and Jason Holder provided valuable middle‑order contributions to lift the total to the second‑highest in T20 World Cup history.
Hetmyer dominates, Powell and company accelerate
Hetmyer was dropped twice by Tashinga Musekiwa — on nine and again on 70 — before Graeme Cremer finally had him caught at deep mid‑wicket by Brian Bennett. Hetmyer’s innings combined intelligent strike rotation with brutal power hitting; he reached his fifty off 19 balls, the quickest by a West Indian at this World Cup.
Powell’s 35‑ball 59 and late cameos from Rutherford, Shepherd, and Holder ensured West Indies posted an imposing target that left Zimbabwe with an uphill chase.
Zimbabwe’s reply collapses under spin pressure
Chasing 255, Zimbabwe were rocked early. Akeal Hosein bowled Bennett with a beauty for five and removed Ryan Burl three balls later for a duck, leaving the Chevrons 20‑3 inside the third over. Left‑arm spinner Gudakesh Motie then ran through the middle order, finishing with 4‑28 as West Indies’ spinners claimed seven of the wickets.
Brad Evans offered late resistance, smashing five sixes in a defiant 21‑ball 43, and added a record 10th‑wicket World Cup stand of 44 with Richard Ngarava. But the chase was never realistic after the early spin onslaught.
Match context and takeaways
West Indies total: 254‑6 (Hetmyer 85, Powell 59)
Zimbabwe reply: bowled out; notable late hitting from Brad Evans (43)
Key bowlers: Motie 4‑28; Hosein, early strikes; Cremer, the only Zimbabwe bowler under 10 economy
The result underlined West Indies’ destructive batting depth and the potency of their left‑arm spin pairing. For Zimbabwe, the defeat was a heavy reversal after earlier tournament upsets over Australia and Sri Lanka, and highlighted the cost of missed chances in the field.
Hetmyer 85 West Indies Zimbabwe Super 8
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