New Zealand have finished the league stage of the Zimbabwe T20I series on a high note, crushing the hosts Zimbabwe by 60 runs to register their fourth consecutive win. With this dominant performance, they now move on to face South Africa in the final of the series on Saturday.

Dominant batting display from New Zealand’s top order

Opting to bat first, New Zealand put together a strong total of 190/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Tim Seifert set the tone early with a brisk 45 from just 27 balls, while Rachin ravindra played a steady hand, scoring 63 off 39. The pair added 108 runs for the second wicket, giving the innings a solid platform. Despite losing a few wickets in the final overs, Michael Bracewell’s unbeaten 26 helped finish the innings positively.

Zimbabwe managed to claw back some control late in the innings. Left-arm pacer Richard ship was the standout, picking up 4 wickets and breaking key partnerships at vital stages. We believe also made an impact, claiming two scalps to check New Zealand’s momentum briefly. However, the damage had been done early, and New Zealand’s batting dominance ensured they had a strong total on the board heading into the second innings.

Ish Sodhi leads the charge as Zimbabwe falters again with the bat

Zimbabwe once again faltered with the bat as they crumbled under pressure while chasing a stiff target, getting bowled out for 130 in 18.5 overs. Their innings lacked stability and partnerships, with only Ryan Burl and Tony is Tony offering brief resistance. The rest of the batting lineup failed to fire, collapsing in clusters under disciplined bowling. The defeat capped a disappointing campaign for Zimbabwe, who finished the tri-series without a single win.

New Zealand’s bowlers delivered yet another clinical performance, spearheaded by Ish Sodhi, who ran through the middle order with superb figures of 4 for 12 in his four overs. With this Sodhi has now 150 T20I wickets to his name. Matt Henry picked up two wickets, while William O’Rourke, Zakary Foulkesand Bracewell also contributed with one each. Their combined efforts ensured Zimbabwe never came close to the target. With this dominant performance, New Zealand wrapped up the league stage unbeaten, heading confidently into the final.

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