Zimbabwe maintained their perfect record in the Africa T20 Cup Qualifiers with another commanding performance, crushing Tanzania by 113 runs at Harare Sports Club.
Tanzania won the toss and elected to bowl first, hoping to exploit the early morning swing. The hosts, however, had other ideas as the in form Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani got off to a flying start.
The pair shared a blistering 138-run opening stand off just 78 balls before Marumani fell for 49, one run short of a deserved half century.
Bennett continued his assault on the Tanzanian attack, powering to his maiden T20 international century.
He top-scored with a magnificent 111 from 60 deliveries before eventually losing his wicket. Zimbabwe finished strongly, posting a formidable 221 for 5 in their 20 overs.
Tanzania’s bowlers struggled to contain the flow of runs, with Khalidy Juma and Ally Kimote taking two wickets apiece, though both went at more than 10 runs per over.
In reply, Zimbabwe’s seamers kept the pressure on from the outset. Brad Evans was outstanding, taking 4 wickets for 16 runs in his four overs at an economy rate of 4.00.
Richard Ngarava chipped in with 2 wickets while Tinotenda Maposa claimed 1, as Tanzania were bowled out for 108 in 18.4 overs.
The emphatic win ensured Zimbabwe finished top of Group B and advanced to the semifinals unbeaten. They will face Nigeria on 2 October at 1:50 pm in the second semifinal, while Namibia take on Tanzania in the first.
The winners of the two semifinals will meet in the final on Saturday, 4 October, with a place at the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka and India at stake.
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