ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 - 8th Match
(Pool B: UAE vs Zimbabwe at Nelson)
Williams, Ervine ruin UAE's spirited comeback
| UAE | vs | Zimbabwe |
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| 285/7 (50) | 286/6 (48) | |
| Zimbabwe won by 4 wickets | ||
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| Photo © ICC |
It's often hard to tell between Sean Williams and Craig Ervine. Both are lean, tall, white, left-hand batsmen who bowl a bit of part-time spin. Even their faces have similar proportion. They are also two of the more sensible Zimbabwe batsmen, less likely to throw their wickets away than other batsmen who get to play as little top-level cricket as Zimbabwe batsmen and ones from other teams in the same category. Playing their first World Cup match in 19 years, UAE, a team primarily built of middle-aged amateurs, matched Zimbabwe blow for blow, registering their highest ODI score, taking regular wickets, fielding with energy until the left-hand twins came together with 119 required in 17.2 overs. Clinically and ruthlessly, the two broke the deadlock with a partnership of 83 off 62 balls to deny the World Cup its first real thriller, cruising home with two overs to spare.
This was expected to be the most low-key match of the World Cup so far, but turned out to be the closest yet. A lot of credit has to go to UAE, who are only rememberefor their 1996 captain Sultan Zaravani going bareheaded to face Allan Donald and wearing one. Nineteen years later a team more spirited, more suited to the challenge came back to the event although it didn't show at the start. It was only some good fortune that kept them from losing their openers with fewer than 40 on the board, but after that Khurram Khan and Shaiman Anwar made sure UAE didn't simply fold up.
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| Photo © ICC |
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