Sports

ZIM vs GAM: Zimbabwe’s 344/4 Breaks The Record For Highest T20 Total In World Cup Qualifier

In a stunning display of power and precision, Zimbabwe established a new record for the highest total in T20 cricket by scoring 344 runs for 4 wickets against Gambia during the men’s T20 World Cup Africa sub-regional qualifier tournament. This remarkable achievement occurred on Wednesday at the Ruaraka Sports Club Ground in Nairobi, where Sikandar Raza led the charge with a breathtaking innings.

Raza’s Record-Breaking Performance

Sikandar Raza played a pivotal role in Zimbabwe’s innings, notching the first century ever recorded by a Zimbabwean in T20 cricket. His explosive knock of 133 runs came off just 43 balls, featuring an astonishing 15 sixes. Raza’s innings not only helped set a new team total record, but it also marked the joint second-fastest century in T20 International history, equaling Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton’s record from February 2024.

His teammates also contributed significantly to this monumental score, with Brian Bennett and Clive Mandande both scoring fifties. Bennett scored 50 runs off 26 balls, while Mandande made 53 runs off just 17 balls, hitting the final delivery of the innings for six. Overall, Zimbabwe amassed a staggering total of 57 boundaries during their innings, comprising 27 sixes and 30 fours, both setting new T20 records.

Historical Context and Dominance

Zimbabwe’s innings began with a remarkable tempo, reaching 50 runs in just 3.2 overs, with Marumani hitting his personal fifty in only 13 balls. The team’s first hundred came before the powerplay concluded, demonstrating their intent to dominate from the outset. By the end of the innings, they had not only broken the previous highest T20 total of 314 runs, held by Nepal, but had also achieved the biggest victory margin in T20 history, winning by 290 runs.

In stark contrast, Gambia struggled to keep pace with the run flow and was bowled out for a mere 54 runs. Musa Jorbateh had a particularly challenging outing, conceding 93 runs in his four overs, marking the highest runs given up by a bowler in T20 history. Five Gambian bowlers ended up giving away over 50 runs each during the innings.

Gambia’s Ongoing Struggles

Gambia, the smallest country in continental Africa, has faced significant challenges in the tournament thus far, having given walkovers to their opponents Rwanda and Seychelles in their initial matches. This latest defeat underscores their search for a first win in the Africa sub-regional qualifiers, while Zimbabwe continued its perfect record with four consecutive victories.