HARARE: Sean Williams played a marathon 174-run knock and powered Zimbabwe to hand the United States of America (USA) the second-biggest ODI defeat in terms of runs in the 17th match of the Cricket World Cup (CWC) Qualifier.
Hosts Zimbabwe, who are in red-hot form in the CWC Qualifier, registered their highest ODI total with a mammoth 408/6 in 50 overs after they were put into bat first by the USA captain Monank Patel.
Zimbabwe openers Joylord Gumbie and Innocent Kaia gave their side a steady start with a cautious 56-run stand that lasted in the 14th over when Jasdeep Singh got rid of Kaia, who could score 32 off 41.
Gumbie then put on a massive 160-run partnership with stand-in captain Sean Williams, who decimated USA bowlers with belligerent hitting and accelerated the flow of runs for Zimbabwe.
Sean Williams was the core aggressor of his vital stand with Gumbie and soon amassed his century in just 65 deliveries.
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Meanwhile, Gumbie who has holding his hand firm fell short in the 35th over when Zimbabwe had 216 runs on the scoreboard. He scored 78 off 103 deliveries, hitting five boundaries.
Sean Williams, however, continued his onslaught and smashed 21 boundaries and five sixes on his way to top-score for Zimbabwe with an astounding 174 off just 101 balls before perishing in the penultimate over.
Middle-order batters Ryan Burl and in-form all-rounder Sikandar Raza played supporting roles by playing brisk cameos and added further to the misery of the USA bowlers.
Burl hammered 47 off 16, laced with three boundaries and four sixes while Raza smashed 48 off 27 deliveries.
Abhishek Paradkar claimed three wickets for the USA while Jessy Singh had two to his name.
Set to chase a massive 409, the USA batting lineup failed completely and could score 104 before being bundled out in the 26th over.
Only three USA batters reached double digits, as Richard Ngarava and Raza each got two wickets, and three runouts rounded out the Americans’ woeful batting display.
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