Spinner Wellington Masakadza took 4-28 as Zimbabwe ended Scotland’s ICC World Twenty20 ambitions with an 11-run victory in Nagpur.
The Scots, who needed a win to harbour any hopes of progressing to the Super 10 stage of the competition after losing their opening match against Afghanistan, suffered a top-order collapse in pursuit of 148 for victory.
Richie Berrington, Preston Mommsen and Josh Davey made a game of it as the middle-order fought back, but Zimbabwe held on for a win which maintains their 100 per cent record in Group B.
Masakadza and Tendai Chatara wasted little time ripping through the Scottish top order, reducing the associate side to 20 for four in just 19 deliveries.
Slow-left armer Masakadza had George Munsey stumped after the opener had reverse swept two consecutive fours in the opening over, Chatara accounted for Kyle Coetzer courtesy of a stunning Sean Williams catch at short cover, Masakadza enticed Matt Machan into a tame chip to mid-off and Matthew Cross feathered an edge behind off the first ball he faced from Chatara.
Michael Leask also fell cheaply, stumped off Sean Williams for nine, but Berrington and skipper Mommsen rebuilt with a stand of 51 off 40 balls and, like Zimbabwe, Scotland had 75 runs on the board after 11 overs.
Mommsen guided Masakadza to cover on 31 and Safyaan Sharif was stumped in the same over, but Davey pulled Chatara for six, hammered a four down the ground and Williams parried a chance over the rope at long-off as 18 came from the 17th over.
However, Donald Tiripano’s next set of six yielded only six runs, and when Berrington tamely chipped the final delivery to Chatara on 36 the game was up, with Davey holing out late on for 24 off 13 balls.
Earlier Scotland’s bowlers had plugged away gamely to restrict Zimbabwe to 147 for seven from their 20 overs, with Williams hitting 53 from 36 balls but nobody else going past 20 for the Test-playing side.
An early slice of luck handed the Scots a breakthrough in the fourth over, with Hamilton Masakadza colliding with opening partner Vusi Sibanda trying to pinch a single and subsequently being run out.
Alasdair Evans had Vusi Sibanda caught in the deep for four attempting a pull, Richmond Mutumbani was caught at long-off by Michael Leask after an initial juggle off Mark Watt and when Sikandar Raza was bowled by Evans Zimbabwe were limping along at 67 for four in the 11th over.
Watt and Leask teamed up again to oust Malcolm Waller for 13 and Williams was caught at square-leg by Evans after top-edging Safyaan Sharif, but Elton Chigumbura hit 20 off 17 balls before being caught off Sharif’s last ball of the innings.
Source: ECB