Hetmyer-powered West Indies pulverise Zimbabwe by 107 runs

A rampant West Indies pulverised Zimbabwe by 107 runs in a one-sided T20 World Cup Super Eights match after Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell's brutal onslaught propelled them to the second highest total in the tournament's history here Monday. The West Indies meant business on a flat deck to clatter 19 sixes and 16 fours in all, amassing 254/6 on the back of Hetmyer's 34-ball 85 and Powell's 35-ball 59. The Caribbean side narrowly missed Sri Lanka's record total of 260/6 set against Ireland in the inaugural edition of the competition in 2007. In their reply, a battered Zimbabwe crumbled in the face of an imposing target and the contest was sealed as early as in the third over, when Akeal Hosein (3/28) returned with a rare double-wicket maiden. The slide began when Zimbabwe's best batter in the tournament Brian Bennett (5) was cleaned up by Hosein, and they had lost opener Tadiwanashe Marumani (14) to Matthew Forde, caught by Hetmyer. Hetmyer had more catching to do when Ryan Burl (0) hit one straight to mid-wicket off Hosein, which left Zimbabwe reeling at 20/3 inside three overs. Gudakesh Motie (4/28) then struck twice in as many balls to leave Zimbabwe gasping in the 11th over, and the African side eventually rolled over for 147 in 17.4 overs. Brad Evans' career-best 43 off 21 balls (2 fours, 5 sixes) and his record 44-run stand for the 10th wicket with Richard Ngarava reduced the margin of defeat. The outcome also saw West Indies notching up their fifth straight win here at the Wankhede Stadium in T20 World Cup history, which began in their title-winning run in 2016. Hetmyer's first-innings exploits on a batting haven saw the West Indies No. 3 bettering his own record of fastest ever half-century for his side, off only 19 balls as opposed to the 22 deliveries he had consumed earlier in the tournament against Scotland. Aided by a couple of lifelines, Hetmyer peeled off his second fifty of the tournament by pummelling seven sixes and as many fours. Like many of his peers, Zimbabwe's Tashinga Musekiwa was playing his first-ever game at the iconic venue but the 26-year-old would remember the game differently: for having dropped Hetmyer twice, on nine and 70. Brandon King (9), having hit a six off Richard Ngarava (2/47), struck it straight to Musekiwa at deep backward square in the third over. However, in the fourth, Musekiwa failed to control the ball which popped out of his hands at deep backward square, giving a lifeline to Hetmyer off Blessing Muzarabani (2/42) and that was where it all changed. Hetmyer had begun with a flick over mid-wicket for a four off the first ball and looked in good rhythm until he pulled one straight to deep backward square where Musekiwa had failed to hold on. Hetmyer, who had reached the non-striker's by then, sneered at himself while making gestures with his hands. Ngarava was then hit for two consecutive fours and Graeme Cremer was hammered for two towering sixes in the seventh over, as Hetmyer set himself up for a big score. Batting without a lid or a cap as he usually does, Hetmyer unleashed a flurry of sixes against the Zimbabweans, who appeared clueless. Skipper Sikandar Raza, who later copped a hard blow off a direct hit from Powell, took it upon himself to try and put things back in control, but Hetmyer swatted him thrice on the on-side for sixes to collect 20 runs off the eighth over. West Indies plundered as many as 124 runs between overs 2-12, with Hetmyer getting strong support from Powell. The two West Indies batters put on 122 off 52 balls for the third wicket. Even as Hetmyer was taking the Zimbabwe bowlers to cleaners, Powell did not for once appear to be playing second fiddle. That the West Indies batters ran excellently between wickets was a given, but Powell too rarely missed an opportunity to score big when the opportunity arrived. Powell's knock included four hits to the fence and as many over it. Towards the end, Sherfane Rutherford (31 not out), Romario Shepherd (21) and Jason Holder (13) took the West Indies past 250.