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Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat, on a surface that was dry, hard, and likely to be quite slow too. Batting first always seems to be a challenge for Zim, who have problems pacing themselves to a decent total, but with this match being a must-win if they're to have any hope of progressing to the next stage they'll have been determined to make a good go of it. With Vusi Sibanda absent on club duty in Australia (so much for guarantees he'd be released for international duties), the opening role fell to Tafadzwa Mufambisi and Chamu Chibhabha, while Jerome Taylor and Ian Bradshaw opened the attack for the West Indies. There was no place for Terrence Duffin today, despite some good work in South Africa, while Piet Rinke gets another chance to finally make an impression against a Full Member team - something he's completely failed to do before now.

And so the game began, and Zimbabwe were instantly in trouble with the dismissal of Chibhabha in the 4th over, with wickets falling regularly from there on. For all that Zim's batting has been steadily improving of late, today there was a collective loss of intelligence and confidence, as wickets were thrown away to an attack that really wasn't anything special. Two suicidal runouts (Taylor and Rinke), misreading simple deliveries - at times it looked as though Zim really didn't want to win. Prosper Utseya became the steadying influence in the lower order, but by that stage it was too late for Zimbabwe to really salvage anything with the bat. Zimbabwe ended on 85, having been bowled out in 30.1 overs, leaving the West Indies needing to score at a leasurely 1.72/over to win. Utseya top-scored for Zim with 27, while Gayle took 3/3 from 3.1 overs for the West Indies. If Zim were going to win this game (which would be a major miracle in itself), it was going to take an awesome bowling performance. I wasn't holding my breath. Quote of the day: "Zimbabwe have exploded like cheap party balloons." - CricInfo text commentary. Sounds about right.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Gayle opened for the West Indies, facing Ed Rainsford and Anthony Ireland, and probably not expecting much trouble on their way to a simple win. Gayle and Chanderpaul took their time getting started, but once they opened up in the 8th over the writing was on the wall for Zimbabwe. Gayle's wicket - caught at the third time of asking while looking for the boundary - was the only Zimbabwean highlight and was just a consolation. Brian Lara tied up the match in the 15th, just in time for lunch and making sure both teams got the afternoon off.

After some good work in recent matches and a noticeable improvement in form, Zimbabwe simply capitulated in this match, and seemingly went out of their way to produce their worst possible performance in every department. Abject humiliation. Their next match is against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, and if Zim manage to produce this type of performance again, all bets are off as far as record scores may go. Truly dismal. Check below the cut for the scorecard and match "highlights".
Zimbabwe 85 (30.1 overs), West Indies 90/1 (14.2 overs)
West Indies win by 9 wickets

Zimbabwean Innings
9/1 3.1 overs CJ Chibhabha b Bradshaw 1 (8b 0x4 0x6) sr: 12.50
Chibhabha did well against the West Indies earlier in the year, but sadly not today - delivery from Bradshaw turns into Chibhabha and catches him out, goodby middle stump. Hamilton Masakadza is next.

10/2 4.4 overs H Masakadza b Taylor 1 (5b 0x4 0x6) sr: 20.00
Similar to Chibhabha's wicket, ball lands outside off and turns back in, hitting off stump after Masakadza fails to deal with it. Two down and not looking good for Zim. Brendan Taylor is next in.

15/2 6.1 runs Mufambisi calls for two but almost ends up running Taylor out - only saved by a poor take behind the stumps.

23/2 7.0 overs Mufambisi gets into his stride a little, picking up 9 runs in a 10-run over. Zim had slowed down after losing the opening wickets, hopefully this is a sign they're getting back on track again.

31/3 9.0 overs TV Mufambisi c Baugh b Taylor 18 (31b 2x4 0x6) sr: 58.06
That's three down and Zimbabwe are definitely struggling - Mufambisi takes his eye off a short ball and edges it behind here it's comfartably taken by Waugh. Stuart Matsikenyeri is next to the crease, and will have a lot of work to do if Zim are to salvage something from this...

31/4 9.4 overs BRM Taylor run out 7 (15b 1x4 0x6) sr: 46.66
Suicidal run by Taylor when the ball was been hit straight to Chanderpaul, who fields, throws, and scores a direct hit. Stupid decision by Taylor and a complete waste of a wicket. The fat lady is warming up, and Elton Chigumbura comes to face the music...

33/4 12.0 overs Change of bowler - Dwayne Smith replaces Taylor.

39/5 13.0 overs S Matsikenyeri c Baugh b Smith 7 (13b 1x4 0x6) sr: 53.84
Had been a good over for Matsikenyeri, until the final ball when he gets caught out by a superb delivery by Smith that moves just enough to take an edge on the way past. Another catch for Baugh, and another disaster looming for Zimbabwe as Piet Rinke comes to the middle.

46/6 15.2 overs HP Rinke run out 1 (5b 0x4 0x6) sr: 20.00
Another run out, Rinke sets off after dispatching one to midwicket but Chigumbura sends him back - another direct hit, this time by Hinds, catches Rinke just short of his crease and his woeful run of form continues. In comes Prosper Utseya, what chance of a real captain's innings to same the game? I'm not holding my breath...

53/6 17.0 overs Change of bowler - Dwayne Bravo replaces Bradshaw.

58/7 19.0 overs E Chigumbura c Taylor b Smith 10 (31b 2x4 0x6) sr: 32.25
Another suicidal wicket, as Chigumbura takes a swipe trying to go for the big one, but only pushes it up for Taylor to take a simple catch. Zimbabwe are in full self-destruct mode here. Anthony Ireland is next.

73/7 24.0 overs Change of bowler - Chris Gayle replaces Smith. Utseya and Ireland are doing their best to make something of a stand here, but you can't help but think it's too little, too late. Run rate's currently 3/over which puts Zim on track for 150 if they can hold out the innings - far too low against the West Indies.

82/8 26.1 overs AJ Ireland b Gayle 6 (21b 1x4 0x6) sr: 28.57
Ireland expected the ball to do more that it did and missed what should have been a fairly straighforward shot. The ball goes on to hit off-stump and that's that. Ed Rainsford is next.

84/9 28.5 overs EC Rainsford c Bravo b Gayle 0 (13b 0x4 0x6) sr: 0.00
Rainsford tries to cut but misjudges the bounce, and edges to first slip. And now, the end is near... Tafadzwa Kamungozi comes to perform last rites for the Zimbabwe innings. At this point, I'd settle for breaking the hundred...

85/10 30.1 overs P Utseya lbw b Gayle 27 (41b 2x4 0x6) SR: 65.85
...but alas, no, as Utseya's resistance comes to an end, along with the Zimbabwe innings.

That leaves the West Indies requiring 86 to win, at a tricky(!) 1.72/over. Pray for rain.

West Indian Innings
39/0 8.0 overs After a comparatively pedestrian start, Chris Gayle comes to life with 15 off the over - 1 six, 2 fours and a single. A few more overs like that and it's all over...

45/0 8.2 overs Gayle dropped by Utseya, running round from mid-off to pick up an edge pull-shot. Zim's fielding letting them down again...
54/0 9.0 overs Gayle dropped again, this time by Ireland at third man. Should have been a fairly straightforward take. Another 15 by Gayle off this over, incidentally, so those drops are hurting. Change of bowler: Elton Chigumbura replaces Ireland.

66/1 9.5 overs CH Gayle c Kamungozi b Chigumbura 41 (34b 7x4 1x6) SR: 120.58
Third time lucky with the catching as Gayle skies another pull-shot. This time Kamungozi makes sure of the catch - good breakthrough for Chigumbura, just a shame he gave away 5 extras / 12 total in the over on the way to it. Brian Lara is next in, so not likely to be any let-up in the scoring...

66/1 10.0 overs Change of bowler - Prosper Utseya replaces Rainsford.

90/1 14.2 overs Two sixes by Lara bring up the required total and make sure West Indies don't have to come out again after lunch. Two words: abject humiliation.

Scorecard

Zimbabwe Innings
TV Mufambisi 	c Baugh b Taylor 	18
CJ Chibhabha 	b Bradshaw 		1
H Masakadza 	b Taylor 		1
BRM Taylor 	run out (Chanderpaul) 	7
S Matsikenyeri 	c Baugh b Smith 	7
E Chigumbura 	c Taylor b Smith 	10
HP Rinke 	run out (Hinds) 	1
P Utseya 	lbw b Gayle 		27
AJ Ireland 	b Gayle 		6
EC Rainsford 	c Bravo b Gayle 	0
T Kamungozi 	not out 		0
    Extras 	(lb 1, w 3, nb 3) 	7 
    Total 	(all out; 30.1 overs) 	85

Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Chibhabha, 3.1 ov),
2-10 (Masakadza, 4.4 ov), 3-31 (Mufambisi, 8.6 ov),
4-31 (Taylor, 9.4 ov), 5-39 (Matsikenyeri, 12.6 ov),
6-46 (Rinke, 15.2 ov), 7-58 (Chigumbura, 18.6 ov),
8-82 (Ireland, 26.1 ov), 9-84 (Rainsford, 28.5 ov),
10-85 (Utseya, 30.1 ov)

Bowling 	O 	M 	R 	W 	Econ
JE Taylor 	6 	0 	19 	2 	3.16 	(1nb, 1w)
IDR Bradshaw 	8 	1 	20 	1 	2.50 	(1nb, 2w)
DR Smith 	6 	2 	14 	2 	2.33 	(1nb)
DJ Bravo 	7 	0 	28 	0 	4.00
CH Gayle 	3.1 	1 	3 	3 	0.94


West Indies innings
CH Gayle 	c Kamungozi b Chigumbura 	41
S Chanderpaul 	not out 			14
BC Lara 	not out 			24
    Extras 	(b 4, lb 2, w 1, nb 4) 		11 					
    Total 	(1 wicket; 14.2 overs; 65 mins)	90 					

Did not bat: MN Samuels, RR Sarwan, DJ Bravo, DR Smith, 
WW Hinds, CS Baugh, JE Taylor, IDR Bradshaw

Fall of wickets: 1-66 (Gayle, 9.5 ov)

Bowling 	O 	M 	R 	W 	Econ
EC Rainsford 	5 	1 	21 	0 	4.20 	(1nb, 1w)
AJ Ireland 	4 	1 	27 	0 	6.75 	(1nb)
E Chigumbura 	3 	1 	17 	1 	5.66 	(2nb)
P Utseya 	2.2 	0 	19 	0 	8.14