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Shimron Hetmyer made a stunning 85 off 34 balls as West Indies began their T20 World Cup Super 8 stage with an emphatic 107-run victory over Zimbabwe.<\/b><\/p>\n
Hetmyer hit seven sixes and seven fours as he mixed finesse with power – at a strike rate of 250 – to help West Indies post a mammoth 254-6.<\/p>\n
The left-handed Guyanese was dropped twice by Tashinga Musekiwa – on nine and 70 – before he was eventually caught at deep mid-wicket by Brian Bennett off experienced spinner Graeme Cremer.<\/p>\n
Rovman Powell then upped the ante after a patient start to chip in with a 35-ball 59 before middle-order cameos from Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd and Jason Holder provided further impetus.<\/p>\n
West Indies’ total was the second-highest in T20 World Cup history – behind Sri Lanka’s 260-6 against Kenya in 2007 – on what was chastening day for Zimbabwe’s attack, Cremer (9.50) the only player with an economy under 10. <\/p>\n
No side had ever chased more than 230 at the Wankhede Stadium in T20 internationals, or in the Indian Premier League, and Zimbabwe soon found themselves in trouble.<\/p>\n
Akeal Hosein bowled Bennett, Zimbabwe’s leading runscorer, with a beauty for five then three balls later snared Ryan Burl for a duck to leave the Chevrons reeling at 20-3 in the third over.<\/p>\n
Fellow left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie ran through the Zimbabwe middle order en route to 4-28 – starting the run with a peach of a delivery to dismiss Dion Myers for 28.<\/p>\n
With the game long gone Brad Evans added some respectability to the margin of defeat with some defiant late hitting – whacking five sixes in his 21-ball 43 – in a record 10th-wicket stand at a World Cup of 44 with Richard Ngarava.<\/p>\n
More to follow…<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n