ZIM VS NEP - 1st Match, Group A, ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers 2023

Right. Zimbabwe have started on a winning note and they look well drilled and ready for the upcoming battles. In Ervine, Williams and Raza, they've a solid and experienced batting core. The bowling looks well settled as well and they'll fancy reaching the Super 6, the first stage towards qualifying to the main tournament. They have a break and they'll be back to face Netherlands on Tuesday. On the other hand, Nepal will take the positives and will look to come back a better unit against USA on the same day. Group B begins tomorrow in Bulawayo and we'll be back for more coverage from the 2023 World Cup qualifiers. For now, cheers and bye..

Craig Ervine | Zimbabwe Captain: We didn't start really well, dropping a couple of catches cost us but credit to the guys for pulling it back. We thought that 280-290 would be chaseable because the wicket looked very nice. We thought there would be a little bit more movement early on but the wicket played really well today. The conditions were very good, their openers batted really well but we didn't take our early chances. Credit to them, they put us under pressure in the early part of their innings. We were just trying to break down into small chunks during the chase, just trying to concentrate on where the gaps are and what the bowlers are trying to do. I think it's well played today, rest day tomorrow and a quick turnaround when we play the Netherlands next on Tuesday.

Rohit Paudel | Nepal Captain: I thought we didn't bowl to our expectations, especially in the middle overs. I thought we could have done better but having said that, they batted really well. We thought anything around 280-300 would be a good score but when I saw the wicket later, I felt we were 10-15 runs short. Maybe 310-315 would have been par. I would say were a good at chasing but I feel we're equal in both batting first and second. I would say to keep your head high and look forward to the next game against USA. We will look forward to go through to the Super Six

Craig Ervine | Player of the Match: Feel pretty ecstatic, we knew it was a decent wicket to bat on so it was about giving ourselves a chance. It's been really good, leading up to this and scoring some runs, hopefully I can continue like this. As a team we always like to dominate batting second. You look all around the wicket, from the 10 over mark to the 40 over mark, there are 5 fielders in the ring so there are always boundary options. I thought we were staring down the barrel of 340 but I thought our bowlers did really well to pull things back. I thought 290 was below par.

16:05 Local Time, 14:05 GMT, 19:35 IST: Nepal have been comprehensively beaten, but they'll take a lot out of this match. They batted beautifully and bowled pretty well, but they were up against two high quality experienced guys who didn't give them an inch. Ervine batted right through and made a solid hundred, he was well supported at the start by Gumbie and Madhevere, but it was the partnership between himself and Williams that showed the gulf in class between the two sides. A lot rested on Sandeep Lamichanne if Nepal were to give any fight, but the leg-spinner failed to show the spark which allowed the hosts to prosper. Runs came at ease and then both went into overdrive, particularly Williams who made a 70-ball hundred, the fastest ODI hundred by a Zimbabwean. It's only fair that the players go around thanking the crowd for all the support, but the hosts will know that this is just the start and the ultimate aim is qualification to the 2023 Cricket World Cup, which is what all the 10 teams assembled over here will look to do.

Rohit Paudel to Ervine, leg byes, 1 run, Zimababwe win by 8 wickets, flighted delivery on the leg-stump line, Ervine shapes for the clip and it rolls to the on-side for the winning single

Rohit Paudel [2.0-0-14-0] is back into the attack

Gulsan Jha to Williams, FOUR, hundred for Williams and he's jumping in joy, this has been a spectacular knock and the merry men in the stands continue to party - an innings of sheer quality from the all-rounder, his wife and kid enjoyed it, so did the dressing room, width outside off and he's slapped it square past cover for a boundary, gets a warm hug from his captain as well

Gulsan Jha to Williams, 2 runs, fuller length delivery from round the wicket - Williams leans across and lifts it wide of long-on, bounces short of the man in the deep and it's just a couple - Zimbabwe within striking distance now

Gulsan Jha to Williams, 2 runs, back of a length and angling across the left-hander, driven on the rise and wide of long-off, comes back for the second run

Gulsan Jha to Williams, SIX, crunched, back of a length and angling across the left-hander, Williams swivels across and launches the pull over mid-wicket, hit the ropes on the full and it's given as a six

Gulsan Jha to Williams, FOUR, drilled, he wants to finish this one off early, climbs onto a good length delivery outside off and hammers it straight of mid-off, no need to run for those

Gulsan Jha to Ervine, 1 run, fuller length delivery on off, clipped down to long-on for a single

Gulsan Jha [7.0-0-37-1] is back into the attack

Lamichhane to Williams, FOUR, clubbed, the conventional sweep now - fetches this one from well outside off and sweeps it powerfully past square leg. Lamichhane finishes with 0 for 77, 1st time in ODIs that he's gone wicketless

Lamichhane to Williams, FOUR, they're reverse sweeping Lamichhane into dust - was darted quicker and on leg, but Williams is quick to get down, reverses the stance and gets it over backward point

Lamichhane to Ervine, 1 run, flighted delivery on off, eased down towards long-on for a single

Lamichhane to Ervine, FOUR, lovely, another reverse sweep, and this one almost went all the way, changed stance and cleared backward point with a powerful strike, bouncing right in front of the ropes

Lamichhane to Ervine, no run, the leg-break from Lamichhane - Ervine spots it early and defends it back at the bowler

Lamichhane to Williams, 1 run, tossed up on off, Williams comes down the pitch and drives it to long-on for a single