Zimbabwe Sets World Record Against Gambia, Musa Concedes 93 in 4 Overs

Before today, only Nepal had managed to score over 300 in international T20s, posting 314 runs against Mongolia. But on October 23, Zimbabwe not only crossed the 300-run mark but also set a new world record, surpassing Nepal.

In the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier, Zimbabwe batted first against Gambia and posted a staggering total of 344 for 4 wickets in 20 overs.

Winning the toss and opting to bat first at the Ruaraka Sports Club Ground in Nairobi, Zimbabwe got off to a flying start. The opening pair of Brian Bennett and Tadiwanashe Marumani put up 98 runs in just 5.4 overs. Marumani was dismissed for a quickfire 62 off 19 balls, hitting 9 fours and 4 sixes. Bennett took 26 balls for his 50, which included 7 fours and 1 six.

Dion Myers, coming in at number three, managed only 12 runs off 5 balls. However, Sikandar Raza, batting at number four, launched an assault. He remained unbeaten, scoring 133 runs off just 43 balls, including 7 fours and a staggering 15 sixes.

Raza became the first Zimbabwean batter to score a century in international T20 cricket. Previously, Dion Myers held Zimbabwe's highest T20I score with 96 against Rwanda. Raza now has centuries in all three formats of the game.

Towards the end, Raza was well-supported by Ryan Burl (25 off 11) and Clive Madande (53* off 17 balls).

Zimbabwe’s innings ended at 344 for 4, a new record for the highest total in international T20 cricket. For Gambia, Andre Jarju took 2 wickets, while Abubakr Kuyateh and Arjun Singh Rajpurohit claimed 1 wicket each.

Sikandar Raza and company guide Zimbabwe to the highest T20I score (344/4) in the format.

🇿🇼: Sikandar Raza (133*), Tadiwanashe Marumani (62)
🇬🇲: Andre Jarju (2/53)

Gambia need 345 runs from 120 balls to win. #T20AfricaMensWCQualifierB https://t.co/9N1wWsVBzT pic.twitter.com/NXFpIK6C6L

— ICC Africa (@ICC_Africa_) October 23, 2024

Gambia's Musa Jobarteh had a tough day, conceding 93 runs in his 4 overs—the most runs ever given up in a single innings in international T20 cricket.

Chasing an enormous target, Gambia was bowled out for just 54 runs in 14.4 overs, giving Zimbabwe a massive 290-run victory. This win marks the largest margin of victory in terms of runs in international T20 cricket.

Zimbabwe's bowlers dominated the Gambia batting lineup. Richard Ngarava and Brandon Mavuta each claimed 3 wickets, while Wesley Madhevere picked up 2 wickets and Ryan Burl took 1.

For his explosive century, Sikandar Raza was named Player of the Match, capping off a dominant performance for Zimbabwe.

 

 

 

 

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