TACTICAL PREVIEW
Follow UsWe have had upsets, heartbreaks, excellent spells and top-class innings in the World Cup Qualifiers. We have also seen Sri Lanka book their place in the World Cup. Zimbabwe and Scotland will hope to be the second team to make it through as they face off in a virtual knockout game at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.
Zimbabwe were at their clinical best until they ran into a solid Sri Lankan side, who have not conceded 200 even once in the tournament. Zimbabwe couldn’t make a match of it after putting up just 165, but the only positive for them is that they still have their fate in their own hands.
The same can be said about Scotland too. They got out of jail against Ireland in their first game of the tournament after Michael Leask played one of the best innings in an ODI run-chase, incidentally at the same venue. They have never looked back since as they have gone on to beat UAE, Oman and the West Indies, with utmost ease.
What has worked for Scotland?
They have been at their clinical best with the ball in the first 10 overs. They have picked up the most wickets (13) this phase after Sri Lanka (14), but they have struck once every 23.1 deliveries, 15.1 runs apart. The architects behind Scotland’s excellent show here have been Brandon McMullen and Chris Sole, who have picked up 12 wickets between them.
The batters have been unable to handle McMullen’s swing early on, while at the other end, Chris Sole’s pace has been tough to get away from. Sole has consistently bowled at 140-150 KMPH making it tough for the batters to put him away on a consistent basis, more so with McMullen swinging the ball around at 115-120 KMPH from the other end.
Speaking of McMullen, he has hands down been the find of the tournament. In his five games so far, he has a fifty, a century and a five-wicket haul.
He left many – including himself - stunned when he was picked in the T20 World Cup squad last year. While he did not feature in the tournament but in his short career so far, he has proved to be a handy cricketer for the Scots.
Zimbabwe’s over-dependence on a few
Zimbabwe’s batting trio of Craig Ervine, Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza have accounted for over 63% of the runs, which does not bode well for the side. Largely due to their efforts, Zimbabwe have scored at a run-rate of 6.7, an average of 45.7, while losing a wicket once every 41.1 deliveries – all of which are the best among all teams in the tournament.
Williams, especially has been a class apart this tournament, with scores of 102*, 91, 23, 174, 142 and 56. He has been a standout player not just for Zimbabwe but also in the entire tournament.
Also Read: From heartbreak to breaking records: Sean Williams turns a corner
The rest of the batters have not really stepped up to the plate. If Scotland do continue to be as efficient in the early stages as they have been all tournament, Zimbabwe are likely to be rattled.
What’s the venue like?
There has been a balance among the pacers and spinners when it comes to picking up wickets. The pacers have 55% of the scalps in the tournament so far, while the spinners have 45%. The fast bowlers have feasted in the first powerplay, accounting for more than 93% of the wickets, while the spinners have come into play in the middle-overs, picking up 67% of the wickets.
Having wickets intact in the first 10 overs is going to be key. A score of around 275 should be the minimum target of the team batting first. However, in the last two games, batting first has been a real challenge with teams getting just 213 and 165.
Both Scotland and Zimbabwe need no motivation to win this game and remain in the hunt to qualify. For Scotland, it is all about erasing the memories of 2018 when a howler denied them a chance of making it to the mega event in England. Zimbabwe have had struggles of their own, with their lowest point being them getting banned in 2019, which did not allow them to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2021.
However, in the 2018 edition of the Qualifiers, they were denied an opportunity to progress when UAE stunned them. The likes of Williams, Raza and Ervine were an integral part of the team, and they now certainly have a point to prove.
As clichéd as it may sound, the team that wants it more will emerge victorious.
Likely XIs:
The only change Zimbabwe might consider making is getting in Tendai Chatara in place of Brad Evans, depending on how they assess the conditions. Despite the heavy defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka, the Cheverons are not expected to make any further changes.
Zimbabwe: Joylord Gumbie (wk), Craig Ervine (c), Sean Williams, Wessly Madhevere, Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl, Luke Jongwe, Wellington Masakadza, Brad Evans, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani
Scotland, on the other hand, seem to have a settled unit. They have tinkered with their fast bowling unit in the tournament, but it makes no sense to do so after a hammering they gave West Indies.
Scotland: Matthew Cross (wk), Christopher McBride, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Richie Berrington (c), Tomas Mackintosh, Michael Leask, Chris Greaves, Mark Watt, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole
