That wraps up all the action from today's match. Thanks to everyone for tuning in. The final game of today's triple-header starts in about 45 minutes; be sure to join Alan Gardner for that one. From our side, this is Rashad Mahbub signing off on behalf of Chandan Duorah and Thilak Ram. Goodbye!
Sikandar Raza: "I thought we bowled exceptionally well. We read the pitch correctly and executed our plans perfectly. This was about as clinical as we can be. A few boundaries and a couple of bad overs don't really bother me; the main thing is that our plans worked, both with the ball and the bat. Ideally, you'd want to win by nine wickets or have the openers finish it off, but with the nerves of a first World Cup game, I'm very happy with this performance. [Surprised by the bounce?] No, we watched the previous games closely and inspected the ground yesterday. I looked at the history of this ground and the role the grass plays. I knew that with our two tall bowlers, we would find bounce regardless. Once I saw it happening, I was quite happy because it's tough for any batter when you have guys like that, plus Brad as backup, generating that kind of height. [Tempted to bowl the seamers' full quota in the middle overs] I have to be careful with Blessing's workload since he's returning from a back injury. I wanted him to bowl three in the powerplay, which he did, but I also wanted to keep an over in reserve for the death just in case. I thought Benny and Wellington did a decent job in the middle. I brought Richard back in the 15th over and he got a wicket immediately. Every time I asked the boys to step up, they delivered, whether by taking a wicket or keeping things tight. [Brendan Taylor's condition] As soon as we made eye contact, I wanted him off the field. I've seen this happen too many times where he tries to play through it and makes it worse. He's a key member of the team, and we have a few days before the next game, so I didn't want to take any chances. His initial reaction was that it felt bad, but we'll wait for the scan and the medical report. [Message to the team] I told them that bravery, courage, and clarity will go a long way. Today proved that our plans work, and I want everyone to keep executing them to the best of their ability. Seeing the bounce and pace of the wicket today just reassured us that we're on the right track."
Jatinder Singh: "We were asked to bat first, and I don't think we put enough runs on the board. It's too much to ask the bowlers to defend 104; as a batting unit, we simply didn't click. In a T20 game, you need around 160 or 170 to give your bowlers a total they can actually fight with. [Preparation to face the seam bowlers] We played a warm-up game, so we were ready for it, but the bounce on this particular pitch was a bit more than we experienced in the practice matches. We just had to cope with it. Like I said, you need a competitive score to give the bowlers a chance. [Positives from the game] I think we can take some positives. Sufyan and Mehmood bowled really well, as did Faisal. Our fielding was also quite good, so we can carry those things forward. [Discussion in the dressing room] We had a huddle as soon as the game ended. I told them not to let their heads drop. It's only the start of the tournament. You have to keep believing because miracles can happen. We are the ones who have to make the difference; we have to be warriors out there."
Player of the Match, Blessing Muzarabani: "It was great to get that first win out of the way. From here on, it's just game by game for us. We're staying focused as the tournament progresses, and I'm really happy with how today went. [Short run up in the last over] Not really. I'm coming back from a slight back injury, so sometimes that gets in your head and you don't want to push it too hard. But it was essentially the same run-up. [Conditions] We got some good bounce. It was a bit skiddy as well, so I'm really pleased I was able to use the conditions effectively. As I said, it's just game by game. I'm not going to overthink things. I'm just happy with today's result. [Fancy your chances against Australia and Ireland] It's going to be a good challenge, for sure. But our approach doesn't change; we're taking it one match at a time. A good ball is still a good ball."
Brendan Taylor was retired hurt in his previous T20 innings last month as well. The third time he retired hurt in his last five T20 innings.
5:58 pm Zimbabwe couldn't have asked for a better way to get their first points on the board. They were on top from the start and ended up outclassing Oman in every department. The tone was set early, with Marumani tearing into Shakeel in the second over, cracking four boundaries in a row to get the chase moving. Oman did have a brief moment where it looked like things might get interesting, and it came through Mehmood. After his earlier contribution with the bat, he picked up the new ball and struck twice in the fourth over, jolting Zimbabwe and forcing a quick rethink. The Chevrons were 43 for 2 at the end of the power play, but Taylor and Bennett did a brilliant job of calming things down after that early flurry. Bennett was the aggressor, taking on the bowling, while Taylor played the stabilizing role, nudging the score along at just over a run a ball. There was a slight worry when Taylor had to retire hurt on 31 runs, clearly uncomfortable while running between the wickets, though Zimbabwe will be hoping it's nothing too serious. Bennett stayed right through to the end, finishing unbeaten on 48 off 36 balls, and Mehmood's two wickets ended up being the only bright spot for Oman on a difficult afternoon. The post-match presentations are coming up shortly; don't go anywhere.
Zimbabwe won by 8 wickets
Sonavale joins the attack
END OF OVER:13 | 11 Runs | ZIM: 100/2 (4 runs required from 42 balls, RR: 7.69, RRR: 0.57)
- Brian Bennett47 (35b)
- Sikandar Raza0 (0b)
- Shakeel Ahmed2-0-27-0
- Sufyan Mehmood3-0-12-2
Brendan Taylor was visibly hobbling while running between the wickets and has decided to walk off retired hurt. This brings the captain, Sikandar Raza, to the crease as the new batter.
BRM Taylor retired hurt 31 (39m 30b 3x4 0x6) SR: 103.33

