Zimbabwe through to Super Six after comfortable victory over Hong Kong

Zimbabwe are through to the Super Six stage of the ICC Cricket Word Cup Qualifier 2018 and guaranteed themselves of carrying over at least two points after beating Hong Kong by 89 runs at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

Brendan Taylor sweeps against Hong Kong PIC @icc

Kyle Jarvis and Sean Williams came in for the suspended Brian Vitori and Malcolm Waller respectively.

Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bat.

Opener Cephas Zhuwao played the only way he knows how. He bludgeoned 45 from 25 balls and Zimbabwe reached their fifty in 4.2 overs. He was the first of four victims to fall to Ehsan Nawaz.

Solomon Mire, joined by Hamilton Masakadza, tried to keep the momentum going but he was gone for 20. Hamilton Masakadza then went after the bowlers firing 84 runs. He was joined by Brendan Taylor whose 46 was just under a run a ball. Nawaz accounted for Taylor.

Hamilton Masakadza does the Wakanda salute after reaching his 50 PIC: @icc

At 181-3 after 29 overs, Zimbabwe looked like they were going to post a massive score but with no boundary scored after the 32nd over it meant that Zimbabwe inched to 263-9 after 50 overs.

Nawaz was impressive for his 4-47.

Zimbabwe have improved a lot with the ball of late and it showed as Tendai Chatara had an early breakthrough, A Khan trapped leg before for 1.

N Khan as next, Kyle Jarvis clean bowling him.

Wickets fell regularly but for Anshy Rath who was defiant and well worth his 85. Batsmen departed around him and Hong Kong were never really at the races and were all out 170 in 46.5 overs.

Sikandar Raza of 3-30, Williams 2-44 and Jarvis 2-20.

The win means Zimbabwe will now fight it out with Scotland to decide who will carry the maximum four points to the next round while Hong Kong know a win over winless Nepal will land them third spot.