Zimbabwe's spinners took centre-stage as they earned a crushing 80-run victory over Pakistan in the teams' rain-affected ODI opener on Sunday.
Torrential rain, thunder and lightning halted play after 21 overs of the Pakistan innings, with the tourists toiling at 60-6 after bowling Zimbabwe out for 205.
Sean Williams, Blessing Muzarabani and Sikandar Raza each scalped two wickets apiece as no Pakistan batter surpassed the 19 runs managed by Mohammad Rizwan.
The dismal weather would ensure no further play was possible, with Pakistan having completed the requisite 20 overs to ensure a result would be declared, ensuring Zimbabwe won on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
Richard Ngarava had earlier top-scored for Zimbabwe with a steady 48 off 52 balls, with Raza adding an important 39 from 56 deliveries after the hosts had been dropped to 99-5.
Salman Agha and Faisal Akram finished with three wickets apiece for Pakistan, but it was not enough to prevent Zimbabwe from being declared comfortable victors, with their total some way clear of the DLS par score of 141.
Data Debrief: Zimbabwe end Bulawayo hoodoo
Zimbabwe's victory may not have come in the circumstances they would have envisaged, but it did end their dismal run against Pakistan at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
They had lost each of their previous eight matches against Pakistan at the venue, only winning one of their last nine there overall (one draw, seven defeats), after winning three of their previous four.
They will hope to carry this momentum into Tuesday's second match at the same venue, as they bid to clinch victory in the three-match series.
West Indies seamer Jayden Seales and batsman Kavem Hodge have been rewarded for their standout performances in the recently-concluded Test series against England, as both achieved career-best moves up the latest ICC Men’s Test bowling and batting rankings on Wednesday.
Though West Indies suffered a 3-0 whitewash in that ICC World Test Championship series, Seales emerged as a standout performer, as he earned the player of the series award for his 13 wickets snared across all three games.
That performance saw the 22-year-old Trinidadian move seven places up to a career-best 26th position, joining teammate Jason Holder, who held firm in that position.
Veteran seamer Kemar Roach remains the top-ranked West Indies bowler at 17th, with Alzarri following Seales and Holder as the next best-ranked player at 31st. Kyle Mayers (37th), Shannon Gabriel (43rd), Gudakesh Motie (52nd), Roston Chase (59th), Shamar Joseph (64th), Jomel Warrican (66th), and Rahkeem Cornwall (82nd) are the other Caribbean bowlers in the top 100.
On the batting chart, Hodge inched up three places to 72nd, following a credible display in the three-match series. The 31-year-old Dominican tallied 216 runs, including a maiden Test century.
Captain Kraigg Brathwaite remains the highest-ranked West Indies batsman at 41st, with out-of-favor Jermaine Blackwood slipping to 52nd. Wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua da Silva (62nd), Holder (70th), Mayer (76th), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (86th), and Roston Chase (92nd) are also in the top 100.
Meanwhile, England batter Joe Root reclaimed the number one Test batting position after scoring 87 in the first innings of the third and final match against West Indies in Birmingham, which his side won by 10 wickets.
This is Root’s ninth stint as number one. His first tenure at the top of the rankings commenced in August 2015, and he was last at the top in June last year after a fine performance in the opening match of the Ashes series, also in Birmingham.
While Root overtook Kane Williamson to take the top spot, Babar Azam, Daryl Mitchell, Steve Smith, and Rohit Sharma have all gained a spot each as Harry Brook slipped to seventh position after attaining a career-best third position last week.
In the weekly update to the rankings that also takes into consideration performances in the Ireland versus Zimbabwe Test in Belfast, England captain Ben Stokes, who struck 54 in the first innings in Birmingham and a quickfire 57 not out off 28 balls in the second, has moved up four positions to 30th in the batting rankings.
Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams has re-entered the rankings in 33rd position after scores of 35 and 40, while England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith’s knock of 95 has lifted him 31 places to 64th position.
England fast bowler Mark Wood’s Player of the Match performance of two for 52 and five for 40 has lifted him into the top 20 of the bowling rankings for the first time in his career.
Gus Atkinson of England (up four places to 46th), Blessing Muzarabani of Zimbabwe (re-entered in 50th position), and Mark Adair of Ireland (up three places to 63rd) are other notable gainers in the bowling rankings.
Mukesh Kumar took four wickets as India beat Zimbabwe by 42 runs in the final game of their T20I five-series fixture in Harare.
Kumar finished with figures of 4-22, taking two wickets in the 18th over to secure the win for the reigning T20 world champions.
Having failed to take any wickets from their 92 balls in their 10-wicket defeat on Saturday, Zimbabwe needed just four deliveries to get their first on Sunday as Sikandar Raza bowled Yashasvi Jaiswal out for 12.
The Chevrons continued their fast start as Abhishek Sharma (14) and Shubman Gill (13) fell early on, which had India at 44-3 by the end of the sixth over.
Sanju Samson's 58 from 45 deliveries steadied the ship, but Blessing Muzarabani (2-19) starred with the ball in hand as India finished on 167-6 after 20 overs.
Zimbabwe's chase for a second win of the series got off to the worst possible start, however, losing Wesley Madhevere for a duck after just the third ball.
Despite Dion Myers (34) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (27) attempting to revive a comeback, Zimbabwe failed to find their rhythm at the crease.
Faraz Akram's 16 runs from three balls in the 17th over offered slight hope, but Zimbabwe saw three wickets fall in quick succession, finishing 125 all out and confirming a 4-1 series defeat.
Data Debrief: India continue T20 champion form
India have now won seven of their last eight men's T20Is against Zimbabwe, including each of the last four, giving them their longest winning streak against the Chevrons.
Shivam Dube took the wicket on Sikandar Raza, India's 11th dismissal via run out in the men's T20Is they have played in 2024, better than any of the full-member sides.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill inspired India to a 10-wicket thrashing of Zimbabwe to confirm their T20I series win over the Chevrons.
An unbeaten opening partnership between Jaiswal (93 not out) and new captain Gill (58 not out) in Harare secured the triumph for the reigning T20 world champions with one match of the series remaining.
Having started impressively, Zimbabwe lost both Tadiwanashe Marumani (25) and Wessly Madhevere (32) in quick succession, which ultimately kickstarted their collapse.
Sikandar Raza attempted to steady the ship with a crisp 46 from 28 balls, but the wickets continued to tumble as Shivam Dube (1-11) and Khaleel Ahmed (2-32) helped restrict Zimbabwe to a manageable 152 -7.
India wasted no time in chasing down their target, with Jaiswal and Gill reaching 61 by the end of the powerplay.
Jaiswal completed his half-century from 29 deliveries with the help of nine fours, with Gill then sealing his second consecutive 50 against Zimbabwe.
The win was secured in the second ball of the 15th over, putting India 3-1 up in the series.
Data Debrief: India's dominance over Zimbabwe continues
India clinched the series with a third win after losing the first game, making it the third time in four bilateral men's T20I series against Zimbabwe that they have won (D1).
They have now won six of their last seven men's T20Is against Zimbabwe (L1).
Raza's knock for Zimbabwe saw him make history, becoming the first player from the nation to score 2,000 runs in T20Is.
Sikandar Raza admitted "the wheels are coming off again" for Zimbabwe after India took the lead in their five-match T20I series.
After losing the first match, India are now 2-1 up in the series after three games having held out for a 23-run victory on Wednesday.
Shubman Gill settled straight back in after returning to the squad following their World Cup success, hitting 66 off 49 balls to set India on their way.
With Yashasvi Jaiswal (36) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (49) also finding their rhythm early on, India set an impressive target of 182-4.
Zimbabwe struggled in the field but also got off to a slow start with the bat until Dion Myers entered the fray, getting 65 not out to give the hosts some hope.
Washington Sundar's three wickets soon put a halt to their comeback as they fell short.
Raza was left to lament a frustrating game but was optimistic they could get back to their best.
"Think [the problem] is the fielding again," Raza said. "We are very proud of it, but the wheels are coming off again.
"We gave away 20 runs extra. We still have problems at the top [with the bat], but we are backing the boys. I know they are trying and once they do, we will come good again.
"It is time we players including me take the responsibility. I can accept some mistakes from the young side, but the seniors need to step up. But we need to back them.
"This is the best we have and this is the best that we can do. The game always rewards you, always does."
The fourth match will take place on Saturday, and a win for India would confirm their series win.
Data Debrief: India just too strong
Gll sped to his half-century in just 36 balls, earning his first 50 as India's T20I captain.
Despite their strong batting display, India were also the beneficiaries of 31 runs after Zimbabwe struggled to take their chances out on the field. The eventual win margin for India: 23.
Abhishek Sharma hammered India's joint third-fastest T20I century as the tourists smashed Zimbabwe with a 100-run victory, levelling the five-match series at 1-1.
India's opening batter fell for a duck in his first T20I international as Zimbabwe triumphed on Saturday, but Abhishek responded with a remarkable 46-ball century a day later at Harare.
Though touring captain Shubmann Gill was dismissed for only two, Abhishek set the tone before reaching three figures with three consecutive sixes.
Ruturaj Gaikwad added an unbeaten 77 from just 47 deliveries, while Rinku Singh finished not out with 48 as India posted an imposing 234-2 – the highest score conceded by Zimbabwe in this format.
Wessly Madhevere offered brief Zimbabwe hope with 43, alongside Brian Bennett's nine-ball 26, yet the hosts never looked like chasing a hefty target after losing wickets at regular intervals.
Avesh Khan led the India bowlers with 3-15, cutting through the Zimbabwe batting line-up with help from Mukesh Kumar (3-37) and Ravi Bishnoi (2-11).
Zimbabwe will hope to respond against the T20 World Cup champions when the two sides meet again on Wednesday at the same venue.
Data Debrief: Abhishek seizes opportunity
Only Rohit Sharma's 35-ball century in 2017 and Suryakumar Yadav's 45-ball ton in 2023, both against Sri Lanka, can better Abhishek's blitz in this game as quicker tons for India.
KL Rahul also had a 46-ball hundred against the West Indies in 2016, though this showing of ridiculous hitting proved a rapid rise on the international stage for India's new white-ball opener.
Abhishek scored 65 runs against the Zimbabwe spinners, the most for India in a men's T20I, off 28 balls at a strike rate of 232.14 with six sixes and four fours.
India's first match since winning the T20 World Cup last month ended in defeat, as Zimbabwe beat them by 13 runs in their first T20I test.
Zimbabwe dominated in the field, with the new-look India falling just short of their target in the final over.
The hosts made a fairly strong start, with Wesley Madhevere (21), Brian Bennett (22) and Dion Myers (23) steadily building the score, but wickets soon started to stumble.
Zimbabwe had four taken for a duck, one of those from the impressive Ravi Bishnoi (4-13), though Clive Madande salvaged some late pride to get them to 115-9 with his 29 runs (not out).
India's first choice 15 are not touring after their World Cup victory, with three debutants coming into the fold, though Abhishek Sharma's involvement was short-lived as he failed to get on the board.
Shubman Gill high scored with 31, and though it looked like Washington Sundar may beat that as he put together a late charge, he was caught on the penultimate ball as India finished 14 shy of their target in their first of five tests against Zimbabwe.
Data Debrief: India brought back down to Earth
Zimbabwe had two bowlers pick three wickets apiece, with Tendai Chatara (3-16) and Sikandar Raza (3-25). While on the other side, Bishnoi's 4-13 was a T20 career best.
The hosts' total of 115 is the lowest total ever defended against India in a T20I, and the lowest against anyone in Harare.
West Indies fast bowling legend Courtney Walsh has joined Zimbabwe’s women’s team as a coaching consultant, as they prepare to challenge for a spot at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year.
The Jamaican, who led West Indies women’s to the semi-finals of the 2022 ICC Women's World Cup in New Zealand, where they lost to eventual winners Australia, will now aim to rewrite the history books by assisting Zimbabwe to a maiden World Cup appearance.
The Lady Chevrons are targeting one of two spots from the Women's T20 World Cup qualifiers, which begins in the United Arab Emirates on April 25.
Walsh, 61, who took 519 Test wickets in his stellar career, is assisting head coach Walter Chawaguta ahead of the tournament, and Givemore Makoni, managing director of Zimbabwe’s Cricket is delighted to have the legendary pacer on board.
"We count ourselves fortunate and privileged to be able to bring in Courtney as a technical consultant for our campaign in Abu Dhabi," Makoni said.
"He is one of the world's greatest cricketers and we believe his experience at the highest level of the women's game in particular will boost our chances,” he added.
A total of 10 teams will participate in the qualifiers in the UAE, which culminates on May 7.
The sides will be split into two groups of five, with the top two progressing to the semi-finals, from where the two finalists will secure berths to the Women's T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year.
Walsh and his Zimbabwe outfit will face the hosts, Ireland, the Netherlands and Vanuatu in Group B, while Sri Lanka, Thailand, Scotland, Uganda and United States, are set to lock horns in Group A.
Zimbabwe women won the gold medal at the African Games in Ghana last month, beating South Africa in a super over.
Guyanese left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie ended 2023 with the best match figures in Test cricket with his 13-99 against Zimbabwe in February in Bulawayo.
The 28-year-old took figures of 7-37 from 14.5 overs in the first innings and 6-62 from 17.3 overs in the second innings to set up an innings and four-run victory for the Windies.
Motie also took six wickets in the first match of the two-match series to finish with 19 in total, being named Player of the Series in the process.
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had the second-best match figures of 2023 with his 12-131 against the West Indies in Dominica in July while Australian off-spinner Nathan Lyon was third with his 11-99 against India in Indore in March.
Sri Lanka were truly tested for the first time at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023, but big performances from Dhananjaya de Silva and Maheesh Theekshana got them out of trouble against the Netherlands.
Dhananjaya made 93, his best ODI score, to help Sri Lanka recover from 96 for six to make 213.
And Theekshana then took three wickets in the space of two overs to derail the Dutch chase in a 21-run victory.
The Netherlands signalled their intent from the very first ball of their clash with Sri Lanka, with Pathum Nissanka sent on his way for a duck by Logan van Beek.
That was part of a dream start for the Dutch, who quickly had the Sri Lankans 34 for four as Van Beek (3/26) showed his skill with the ball four days on from his heroics with the bat against the West Indies.
It required a sensational knock from Dhananjaya de Silva to get Sri Lanka to 213 all out, and even that did not look like it would be anywhere near enough.
However, just as the Netherlands seemed to be on track in reply, Maheesh Theekshana (3/31) swung the momentum with three quick wickets as the Netherlands eventually fell 21 runs short.
They had started so well. Nissanka departed after just one ball, before Ryan Klein had Kusal Mendis (10) trapped in front in the fourth over.
Van Beek added Sadeera Samarawickrama (1) and Charith Asalanka (2), bringing Dhananjaya to the crease.
He began to rebuild with Dimuth Karunaratne, who then fell for 33, with skipper Dasun Shanaka then departing for five, Saqib Zulfiqar (2/48) accounting for both men.
Wanindu Hasaranga provided some useful runs, making 20 in a 35-run stand with Dhananjaya. And after he fell LBW to Bas de Leede (3/42), Theekshana joined Dhananjaya.
The duo added 77 runs, taking Sri Lanka past 200 before both getting out in the space of three deliveries.
A target of 214 was certainly in reach for the Dutch, albeit on a tricky wicket for the batters.
Their cause was not helped by both openers falling for ducks, Lahiru Kumara removing Vikramjit Singh and Dilshan Madushanka accounting for Max O’Dowd.
However, a 77-run partnership between Wesley Barresi (52) and De Leede (41) got the chase back on track. It was ended by some sharp work in the field by Shanaka, with Barresi short of his ground while trying to steal a single.
Teja Nidamanuru then became the third Dutch batter to go for a duck, bowled by Hasaranga. In came Scott Edwards and the skipper quickly settled in alongside De Leede, the pair adding 36 in six overs.
Sri Lanka were in desperate need of a breakthrough and it came from Theekshana, who snuck one through the defences of De Leede.
He added two more in his next over, including the vital wicket of Van Beek, before another run-out saw Shariz Ahmed depart for two, leaving the Netherlands on 151 for eight.
Edwards and Ryan Klein added 25, inching closer with the required rate not an issue, but a perfect wrong’un from Hasaranga was too good for Klein (5).
That left the final pair with 38 to get in 17 overs and the in-form Edwards helped get them close, but the skipper was left stranded unbeaten on 67 when Aryan Dutt was clean bowled by Shanaka.
With Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe both on six points, the West Indies will have to beat Scotland on Saturday to stay in contention to make it to the World Cup. If they lose, the most points they can end up with is four.
As if to run salt into the already gaping wound of an embarrassing 35-run loss to Zimbabwe in the ICC World Cup qualifier on Saturday, the West Indies have been fined 60 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate.
Muhammad Javed of the ICC International Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanctions after the West Indies were ruled to be three overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.
In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.
Captain Shai Hope pled guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
On-field umpires Sam Nogajski and Ravindra Wimalasari, third umpire Roland Black and fourth umpire Allahudien Palekar levelled the charge.
All-rounder Sikandar Raza was, once again, the star of the show as hosts Zimbabwe beat the West Indies by 35 runs to move to 3-0 in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers and hand the West Indies their first loss in six ODIs.
The hosts posted 268 all out from their 50 overs after the West Indies won the toss and elected to field first at the Harare Sports Club.
After a 63-run opening stand between Joylord Gumbie and Captain, Craig Ervine, Zimbabwe quickly lost four wickets for 49 runs to be reeling at 112-4 at the halfway point of their innings.
Half centuries from Sikandar Raza and Ryan Burl then rescued Zimbabwe from what looked to be a spot of bother.
Raza, coming off a century against the Netherlands in their last game, led the way with a 58-ball 68 including six fours and two sixes while Burl made an even 50 off 57 balls including five fours and a six.
Earlier, Ervine made 47 while Gumbie scored 26.
The Zimbabweans were helped by the West Indies dropping five catches. Raza was dropped three times.
Keemo Paul led the way with the ball for the West Indians with 3-61 from his 10 overs while Akeal Hosein and Alzarri Joseph both took a pair of wickets, each.
The West Indies then started their chase relatively well with openers Brandon King and Kyle Mayers putting on 43 for the first wicket in just six and a half overs before King was dismissed for a rapid 20.
Johnson Charles fell soon after for just one before Captain, Shai Hope, joined Mayers at the crease.
The pair put on a further 64 before Mayers fell in the 21st over for 56.
Nicholas Pooran joined Hope at the wicket and the two centurions from the last game plotted to continue from where they left off in the last game.
That was not the case, however, as Hope fell for 30 just three overs into their partnership.
Pooran (34) and Rovman Powell (1) then fell in quick succession to leave the West Indies 180-6 in the 33rd over.
Jason Holder then came to join Roston Chase, who was batting well in the midst of the carnage at the other end, and the pair looked comfortable, adding a further 37 runs before Holder fell for 19 in the 41st over.
Keemo Paul then came and went for just one before Chase’s resistance was ended for 44 to leave the West Indies on the brink at 224-9 in the 43rd over.
With the score on 233 in the 45th over, Alzarri Joseph chipped a ball to Sikandar Raza at short mid-wicket to confirm the 35-run win for Zimbabwe.
Tendai Chatara led the way with the ball with 3-52 off 9.4 overs while Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava and Sikandar Raza all took two wickets, each.
Both teams have already advanced to the Super 6 stage. Zimbabwe will play the USA in their last group game on Monday while, on the same day, the West Indies will face the Netherlands.
So far in the ICC Word Cup Qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe, the West Indies have had it relatively easy.
Firstly, they picked up a 39-run win over the USA on Sunday then a dominant 101-run win over Nepal on Thursday.
On Saturday, they are expected to face their first big test when they take on the hosts, Zimbabwe, who are also undefeated after two games.
Zimbabwe have had a pair of successful chases in their first two encounters. They needed only 44.1 overs and lost only two wickets on their way to overhauling 290 made by Nepal in their first game before needing even less time, 40.1 overs to be exact, to chase down 315 against the Netherlands in their second game.
West Indies batsman, Nicholas Pooran, says the Caribbean side is looking forward to the challenge of the in-form Zimbabweans.
“We expect the fans to come out and support Zimbabwe,” Pooran said.
“We’re playing international cricket and the home fans normally come out and support so it’s just going to be a normal game for us but again, the Zimbabwe fans are really passionate as well so we’re looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge against them,” Pooran added before emphasizing that every game they play in this tournament should be considered big.
“Every game is a big game so we don’t want to get into the habit of saying that USA or Nepal aren’t big games. They’re all big games but, in saying that, it’s nice to have batsmen that are in form going into a game like that. We all know that we need to be consistent and keep putting our hands up when the team needs us to,” he said.
The 27-year-old, who also got 115 against Nepal in the last game, also commented on the early start times of the matches and the condition of the Zimbabwean pitches.
“It makes the games very even,” said Pooran of the early start times.
“Obviously, the games are starting at 9:00 am here and there’s some moisture in the pitch. We know as a group that we need to fight that period out and, if we do that, it can be a really good cricketing pitch. I think the game becomes very equal and it’s all about who embraces the moment,” he added.
As it relates to the conditions, “it’s beautiful” was Pooran’s response.
“Coming from the Caribbean, I personally didn’t expect the wickets to be that good in Zimbabwe but I’ll take this any day,” he added.
Hosts Zimbabwe produced a second big chase in succession to continue their fine start to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023 in Harare.
Sikandar Raza’s unbeaten century carried his team to a six-wicket victory over the Netherlands as Zimbabwe successfully chased down the target of 316 set by the Dutch.
That follows an opening victory over Nepal in Group A, leaving Zimbabwe in a good position in the race for a spot in the Super Six.
Nepal bounced back from that opening loss to record their first win of the campaign, as they beat the USA by six wickets.
Bhim Sharki was the star of the show, making 77 not out, as Nepal chased down 211 against the US, who have now lost twice in as many matches.
Zimbabwe batters step up in chase again
Two days after chasing down 291 against Nepal, Zimbabwe found themselves with an even bigger target to achieve against the Netherlands.
But an unbeaten 102 from Sikandar Raza saw them home in comfortable fashion, reaching 319 for four with 55 balls remaining.
Raza reached his century off just 54 balls, the fastest ever by a Zimbabwean in ODI cricket.
Raza was spectacular with the bat, smashing eight sixes in his 54-ball knock as he carried on the good work of skipper Craig Ervine (50) and Sean Williams (91).
The Dutch had looked in good position at the halfway stage, making 315 for six as Vikramjit Singh (88) and Scott Edwards (83) gave them a dream start to their tournament.
Singh and Max O’Dowd (59) put on 120 for the first wicket before Raza bowled O’Dowd, before getting Wesley Barresi out in the same way.
A 96-run partnership between Singh and Edwards continued the Netherlands’ fine batting effort with Raza again the man to find the breakthrough, removing Singh, on the way to figures of four for 55.
Richard Ngarava (2/40) chipped in with a couple of useful wickets, including the skipper, but Saqib Zulfiqur’s 34 not out off 31 balls ensured the Dutch went into the interval feeling good.
Zimbabwe needed to start quickly and they did just that, Ervine and Joylord Gumbie (40) putting on 80 for the first wicket before the captain was removed by Singh.
Gumbie and Williams then added another 62, and while Shariz Ahmed claimed the wicket of the former, as well as Wessly Madhevere, Zimbabwe were comfortably keeping up with the asking rate.
Raza joined Williams and the pair added 84 in ten overs to ease any tension, and while Williams eventually departed, it was left to his partner to complete a magnificent all-round performance to see the side home.
Nepal up and running with US success
Having suffered the same fate as the Dutch against Zimbabwe, Nepal needed a win against the USA, and got it by six wickets.
Karan KC (4/33) did the damage with the ball to restrict the Americans to 207, before Bhim Sharki carried Nepal home with seven overs to spare.
Karan was sensational early on after Nepal had chosen to bowl first, taking four wickets in the first ten overs to reduce the USA to 18 for four.
Sushant Modani (42) and Gajanand Singh (26) started to rebuild, adding 47 before the latter edged Dipendra Singh Airee to slip.
That brought keeper Shayan Jahangir to the crease and he counter-attacked in style, making 100 not out from just 79 balls as wickets continued to fall at the other end.
Gulsan Jha (3/52) finished the job with an over to spare, rattling through the tail to leave Nepal with 208 to win, despite Jahangir’s maiden ODI century.
Despite Aasif Sheikh falling leg before to Saurabh Netravalkar for 12, that total never looked like being enough, Kushal Burtel (39) and Sharki adding 49 for the second wicket.
Skipper Rohit Paudel and Kushal Malla both made starts before falling, leaving Nepal on 137 for four as Airee joined Sharki.
Any danger of a collapse was quickly averted though as the pair added 74 to carry Nepal to a comfortable win.
Ireland look to get back on track against Scotland
Attention will turn back to Group B on Wednesday when Ireland take on Scotland in Bulawayo in one of two games.
Having fallen to defeat to Oman in their opener, Ireland will be keen to make amends at the Queens Sports Club against the Scots, who will be playing their first game of the tournament.
The other game sees Oman looking to build on that Ireland success when they face the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE were comfortably beaten by Sri Lanka in their first game and will now face an Oman team full of confidence in the encounter at the Bulawayo Athletic Club.
Scores in brief
Zimbabwe beat Netherlands at Harare Sports Club, Harare by six wickets
Netherlands 315/6 in 50 overs (Vikramjit Singh 88, Scott Edwards 83; Sikandar Raza 4/55, Richard Ngarava 2/40)
Zimbabwe 319/4 in 40.5 overs (Sikandar Raza 102*, Sean Williams 91; Shariz Ahmed 2/62)
Nepal beat USA at Takashinga Cricket Club, Harare by six wickets
USA 207 all out in 49 overs (Shayan Jahangir 100*, Sushant Modani 42; Karan KC 4/33, Gulsan Jha 3/52)
Nepal 211/4 in 43 overs (Bhim Sharki 77, Dipendra Singh Airee 39*; Steven Taylor 1/14, Saurabh Netravalkar 1/29)
Wednesday 21 June – Fixtures
Group B
Ireland v Scotland at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
Oman v United Arab Emirates at Bulawayo Athletic Club, Bulawayo
Yannic Cariah claimed four wickets while captain, Shai Hope, and Romario Shepherd both hit fifties as the West Indies defeated Scotland by 91 runs on Tuesday in their first warm-up game before the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
The Scots won the toss and put the West Indians in to bat at the Harare Sports Club.
Hope top scored with a 65-ball 57 while Shepherd provided some valuable lower-order hitting with a brisk 34-ball 53 as the Windies posted 264 in 48.4 overs.
Hope’s knock contained six fours while Shepherd hit five fours and three sixes.
Chris Sole took 4-50 from his 10 overs while Jack Jarvis and Chris Greaves each claimed three wickets for Scotland.
The West Indies then successfully defended the total, needing only 33.5 overs to bowl the Scots out for 173.
Cariah produced an excellent spell of bowling to claim 4-46 in nine overs while Roston Chase took 3-43 from 5.5 overs.
Brandon McMullen and Matthew Cross were the chief scorers for Scotland with 38 and 35, respectively.
The West Indies next warm-up match will take place at the same venue on Thursday against the UAE.
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