zimcricketnews.com

Zimbabwe managed to step up a gear in the final group match of the ICC Tri-Series in Trinidad, amassing 338 runs - just 2 short of Zimbabwe's highest 1-day total (340 against Namibia in CWC2003) - on their way to an emphatic 194-run win. Just the sort of warm-up the Zimbabweans will have wanted ahead of Saturday's final.

Apart from Piet Rinke, who once again failed to live up to his opening-batsman billing (caught behind for 6), all of Zimbabwe's batsmen made significant contributions, with Brendan Taylor's 98 and Vusi Sibanda's 78 being the pick of the bunch. Come the Bermudan innings, while Zimbabwe weren't able to bowl them out they were able to restrict the run-rate, with Bermuda reaching just 144 from their 50 overs. Blessing Mawhire (2/24) and Anthony Ireland (2/26) led the bowling figures.

After the series defeat by the West Indies, this series will no doubt go some way to lift the spirits of the Zimbabwean team, even though it was against "lower-class" opposition. It also points out that, although Zim may be bottom of the Full Member pile, they're still some way beyond the Associate opposition, and an enforced drop down to that level, as some would no doubt suggest as being appropriate, would be unlikely to help Zimbabwe raise their standards.
Zimbabwe 338/7 (50 ovrs); Bermuda 144/7 (50 ovrs)
Zimbabwe win by 194 runs