Zimbabwe and Netherlands have made it to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 to complete the 16-team list for the marquee event to be played in Australia in October-November this year. The two teams won the respective semi-finals of the ongoing Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B tournament in Bulawayo on July 15 to seal their spots in the tournament.
While Zimbabwe defeated Papua New Guinea by 27 runs in the first semi-final, the Netherlands overcame the United States by seven wickets in the second.
Zimbabwe put up a daunting 199/5 after opting to bat, with contributions from each of their top-six, with Wesley Madhevere (42 off 29) and skipper Craig Ervine (38 off 30) leading the way.
Toni Ura (66 off 35) and Charles Amini (31 off 26) kept PNG in the hunt, but the latter’s dismissal at the 15th over mark, with his side still 61 away, proved to be a major turning point. Blessing Muzarabani returned 2/24 from his four-over spell for the hosts.
In the second clash, USA were bundled out for 138 in 19.4 overs after opting to bat, with Bas de Leede and Paul van Meekeren bagging two wickets each for the Netherlands. De Leede led the chase with a stroke-filled 67-ball unbeaten 91 to see his side home with an over to spare.
The result of the final on July 17 will determine the final seedings of the Qualifier’s round of the T20 World Cup 2022, which precedes the Super 12s stage. The winner will join Ireland, Scotland and two-time world-champions West Indies in Group B, while the runners-up will be alongside Namibia, Sri Lanka and UAE in Group A.
The teams that made it to the Super 12s of the 2021 edition in the UAE automatically qualified for the T20 World Cup 2022. Sri Lanka and Namibia will face-off in the tournament opener in Geelong on October 16, and the Super 12s round will commence on October 22, with hosts and defending champions in the hunt taking on trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in Sydney.
The Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the final on November 13.
