HOBART: Two-time champions West Indies tasted their first triumph as the Joseph-led bowling attack bundled out Zimbabwe on a paltry 122 and scripted a confidence-boosting 31-run victory in the eighth match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

Following an upset defeat against Scotland in their campaign opener, the former champions bounced back to thrash Zimbabwe by 31 runs to seal their first victory in this year’s mega event.

Set to chase 154, Zimbabwe could manage to accumulate 122 before bundling out in the 19th over.

Lower-order batter Luke Jongwe displayed fightback as he top-scored for the side with a gritty knock of 29 off 22 deliveries. He smashed three boundaries and a six before falling to Joseph in the 18th over.

Wessly Madhevere scored the second-most runs for Zimbabwe in the run chase; scoring 27 up the order, while the rest of their batters seemed clueless against the West Indian bowling attack.

Right-arm pacer Joseph returned astounding figures of 4/16, while Holder 3/12 as they dented Zimbabwe’s hopes of chasing down the total.

Akeal Hosein, Obed McCoy and Odean Smit, on the other hand, struck out a batter apiece.

West Indies were sailing comfortably at one point as they hoisted 77/1 in 9.4 runs before Even Lewis fell prey to Raza in the 10th over to set the alarm bells off for the batting side.

Raza jolted the West Indian batting line further when he struck twice in the 14th over, dismissing Shamarh Brooks(0) and Alzarri Joseph(4) cheaply.

Following the slump, Rovman Powell and No 8 batter AKeal Hussain anchored the Windies’ innings as they scored 28 off 21 and 23 off 18, respectively, and raised a defiant partnership of 49 runs before the former offered his wicket to Blessing Muzarabani in the final over.

Johnson Charles, however, remained the top-scorer for the side as he played a cautious knock of 45 off 36 laced with three fours and two sixes.

For Zimbabwe, apart from Raza’s sensational figures of 3/19 in his four overs, Muzarabani took two scalps while Sean Williams etched a wicket to his credit. 

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