Zimbabwe crush Canada for third spot in T20 Cup

Hosts Canada were massacred by Zimbabwe to clinch the third place in the inaugural T20 Canada Cup here Monday.

Set a stiff target of 185, Canada were crushed by Zimbabwe, handing them down a 109-run defeat at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club ground at King City here. Only middle-order batsman Abdool Samad resisted the Zimbabwe attack, scoring 29 off 30 balls.

Hamilton Masakadza, who set the tone for the match by scoring 79 off 52 balls, was declared the man of the match.

The Zimbabwe opener made his intentions clear when the Canadian captain Sunil Dhaniram chose to field first after winning the toss on yet another beautiful day here.

After losing his partner Cephas Zhuwawo in the second over, Masakadza, along with Chamu Chibhabha, kept up the scoring tempo, opening up with four fours off harvir Baidwan in the sixth over.

The two took the score to 93 when Chibhabha fell for 40, caught and bowled by Canadian captain Sunil Dhaniram in the 12th over.

After playing a couple of overs cautiously with his new partner Taibu, Masakadza unleashed his full fury in the 16th over, hammering Abdool Samad for two huge sixes before being stumped for 79.

His blitzkrieg included three sixes, eight boundaries and came off just 52 balls.

After Masakadza's departure, Elton Chigumbura and Keith Dabengwa went on the rampage, clobbering Canadian bowlers for sixes and fours, posting 184 for five. Chigumbura scored 25 off just eight balls, including two sixes.

In reply, Canada lost Ashif Mulla for two in the third over. They were in dire straits when they lost their most dependable batsman Rizwan Cheema for two in the next over.

Shimla-born Sandeep Jyoti, who came in next, fell to Ray Price without scoring.

Captain Sunil Dhaniram tried to steady the innings with Abdool Samad but they made little headway as Zimbabwe bowlers allowed them little room for scoring.

When Dhaniram was stumped out in the 10th over, the match seemed to be over for Canada as they tottered at 27 for four at the half-way mark.

The next batsman to go was Ramesh David who lasted just 10 balls, caught at mid-wicket for six.

With just seven overs left and Canada at 38 for five, Samad decided to go for big hits, hoisting Prosper Utseya for two huge sixes in the next over. But he perished for 29 when he went for a repeat in the 15th over bowled by Graeme Cremer.

Balaji Rao, Karun Jethi and Harvir Baidwan fell cheaply, and the innings folded up at 75 when Umar Bhatti was caught by Zhuwawo on the bowling of Ray Price for 11.

It was Canada's worst defeat in T20 matches.