A career-best 4-wicket haul from Ish Sodhi (4-12) after Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra hammered half-centuries saw New Zealand underlined their dominance in the Harare tri-series with a clinical 60-run win over Zimbabwe on Thursday, maintaining a flawless 4-0 record and setting up a high-voltage final clash against South Africa on Saturday.
Seifert, Ravindra Set It Up in Style
Put in to bat, New Zealand rode on explosive half-centuries from Seifert (75 off 45) and Ravindra (63 off 39), whose 108-run stand laid the foundation for a daunting total of 190/6.
Seifert was dropped early—and Zimbabwe paid a heavy price.
“The two individuals we let off, Bracewell and Seifert, hurt us,” rued Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza, as his side once again stumbled during the crucial Power-play phase.
“We keep digging ourselves a hole, and when we try to climb out, we don't.”
Ravindra, equally aggressive, struck seven boundaries and two sixes, while Seifert led the charge with nine fours and a maximum. Their fireworks helped New Zealand recover from the early loss of Tim Robinson (10).
Tinotenda Maposa’s double strike in the 14th over—removing Ravindra and Mark Chapman (0)—momentarily stalled the Black Caps, who eventually lost five wickets for 63 runs. But the early onslaught had already inflicted enough damage.
Sodhi Strikes Early, Seals It Late
With the batters doing their job, it was Sodhi who stole the show with the ball. The veteran leg-spinner returned outstanding figures of 4 for 12, ripping through Zimbabwe’s middle order and setting the tone for a dominant defence. In the process, he became the 2nd New Zealander to reach 150 T20I wickets, behind Tim Southee (164)
Great team win. Always nice to contribute with a few wickets. It was a slightly new role for me, bowling in the Power-play. I haven’t done that much in my career, so it felt good to contribute that way.
Sodhi dismissed Brian Bennett (1) to break Zimbabwe’s opening stand and then sliced through the heart of their lineup, removing Clive Madande (2) and Tony Munyonga, who top-scored with a valiant 40 off 30.
Eight Zimbabwe batters failed to reach double figures, while dropped catches and poor decision-making compounded their woes.
The wicket was getting better in the second innings. But we repeated the same mistakes. Especially in the Power-play.
Team Effort, Ruthless Intent
While Sodhi led the bowling charge, Matt Henry (2-34) and Michael Bracewell, Zakary Foulkes, and Will O’Rourke all chipped in with a wicket each, underscoring New Zealand’s all-round efficiency.
Zimbabwe were bowled out for 130 in 18.5 overs, falling 60 runs short, with the result never in doubt once Sodhi tightened the noose.
Black Caps Primed for Final Challenge
Having outclassed both Zimbabwe and South Africa in the league phase, New Zealand now head into the final with momentum and belief. With both their top order and bowling unit firing in tandem, the Black Caps look ready to lift the tri-series trophy.
Brief Scores: New Zealand 190/6 in 20 overs (Tim Seifert 75, Rachin Ravindra 63; Richard Ngarava 4-34, Tinotenda Maposa 2-38) Zimbabwe 130 all out in 18.5 overs (Tony Munyonga 40; Ish Sodhi 4-12, Matt Henry 2-34) New Zealand won by 60 runs
