Joseph’s four-for keeps Windies in the hunt; Ireland beat Scotland
NEW DELHI: West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph captured four wickets to help put the qualifying campaign on track after a sputtering start with a 31-run win over Zimbabwe in the First Round Group B match of the T20 World Cup in Hobart on Wednesday.
Twice champions Windies had suffered an embarrassing batting collapse to lose their opening qualifying tie against Scotland. The batting wasn’t exactly purring but opener Johnson Charles (45 – 36b, 3x4, 2x6), Rovman Powell (28 – 21b) and Akeal Hosein (23* -- 18b) helped put on 153/7 after the Caribbean side had elected to bat.
A Zimbabwe win—they beat Ireland in the first game—would have put the southern African team into the tournament proper and eliminated the twice former champions. Zimbabwe had even raced to 29/0 in 2.2 overs before Joseph’s searing pace forced skipper Regis Chakabva (13) to play on to the stumps. He next bowled Tony Munyonga (2) with a yorker. Wickets steadily fell before he joined Jason Holder to clean up the tail. Joseph took 4/16 and former skipper Holder 3/12.
Ireland came on top in their clash against close rivals Scotland but only after setbacks. They were reeling at 61/4 chasing 177. All-rounder Curtis Campher, who had taken 2/9, hit a 32-ball 72 not out (7x4, 2x6) and shared in an unfinished 119-run fifth wicket partnership off only 57 balls with George Dockrell (39* 27b) to steer the team home with an over to spare. The six-wicket win keeps Ireland in contention to claim one of the two spots in the Super 12 stage.
Scotland again put up a solid 176/5 with Michael Jones (86 – 55b, 6x4, 4x6) leading the way. A century beckoned when he failed to clear the straight fielder in the 19th over. Campher then removed the set Matthew Cross (28 off 21b) and Scotland skipper Richie Berrington (37—27b), in the ninth and 17th overs, to somewhat check the scoring.
West Indies face Ireland and Zimbabwe play Scotland in the final games and the winners will go through.
Brief scores: Scotland 176/5 (M Jones 86, R Berrington 37, C Campher 2/9); Ireland 180/4 in 19 ovs (C Campher 72*, G Dockrell 39*). Ireland won by 6 wkts. West Indies 153/7 (J Charles 45, R Powell 28, B Muzarabani 2/38, S Raza 3/19); Zimbabwe 122 in 18.2 ovs (A Joseph 4/16, J Holder 3/12). WI won by 31 runs.