Zimbabwe are close from qualifying for the cricket World Cup after winning against Oman by 14 runs on Thursday at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. This was the Chevrons’ first match in Bulawayo having played all their group matches in Harare.
They scored 332-7 from 50 overs, with Sean Williams hitting his third hundred of the event. Oman put up a strong fight with the bat but were unable to overcome the massive Zimbabwe total, falling short by 14 runs. They scored 318-9.
Zimbabwe now tops the table, having won two matches against the West Indies and the Netherlands during the group stage. They are trying to qualify for the one-day showpiece, which they have missed out on for eight years.
The top two teams in the Super Six standings will qualify for the World Cup. Oman is all but out of contention. Despite starting the match with zero points, they pushed Zimbabwe hard.
Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani took three wickets to put Zimbabwe on the brink of victory, while Luke Jongwe made a remarkable catch on the boundary. Williams scored 142 off 103 balls, with 14 fours and three sixes, to provide the backbone of Zimbabwe’s innings.
If they win two of their three matches against Oman, Sri Lanka, and Scotland, they will likely qualify for the World Cup. Zimbabwe last participated in the tournament in 2015.