ZIMBABWE Cricket men under-19 team’s chances of progressing to the next stage of the 2024 International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup are now hanging by a thread following their crushing 225 runs defeat at the hands of Australia at the Kimberly Oval in South Africa yesterday.
The Young Chevrons have now suffered two losses in as many matches in the World Cup and are now facing the danger of elimination in the group stages with their net-run rate taking a massive blow. It was a dismal show in yesterday’s game.
The Young Chevrons were brushed aside with both bat and ball as Australia continued their dominance over them. It was the Young Chevrons’ fifth consecutive defeat at the hands of Australia having last won against them in 2004.
Australia won the toss and elected to bat first and they went on to finish on a commanding score of 296/7 in 50 overs and a disastrous batting performance from Zimbabwe saw them bowled out for just 71 runs in 23,2 overs.
It took Zimbabwe 18,5 overs to break Australia’s opening stand which had amassed 91 runs. It was Brandon Sunguro who took the first scalp for the Young Chevrons, bowling Sam Kontas for 45 runs off 48 balls. Sunguro would go on to finish with figures of 2/48 in his 10 overs as he took the wicket of the other Australian opener, Harry Dixon for 89 runs.
The Young Chevrons skipper Matthew Schonken also took two wickets, finishing with figures of 2/65 in 10 overs as well while Ryan Simbi had figures of 2/53 also in 10 overs. Dixon’s 89 runs off 108 balls was the highest score for the Young Aussies. Their captain, Hugh Weibgen also managed to score a half-century, falling for 68 runs from 69 balls. Tom Campbell finished three runs short of his half century. He was unbeaten on 47 runs from 28 balls.
Zimbabwe’s chase got off to the worst possible start as they found themselves struggling on 3/3 in 2,4 overs before going on to crumble further to 11/4 in 7,1 overs.
The Young Chevrons’ highest partnership was between Ronak Patel and Sunguro, who notched up 40 runs for the fifth wicket.
The two were the only Zimbabwean batters who managed to score double figures.
Chronicle
