Zimbabwe v Hong Kong
Wisden's review of the first match, Zimbabwe v Hong Kong
Tim Wigmore
15-Apr-2017
At Nagpur, March 8, 2016. Zimbabwe won by 14 runs. Zimbabwe 158-8 (20 overs) (V. Sibanda 59, E. Chigumbura 30*); ‡Hong Kong 144-6 (20 overs) (J. J. Atkinson 53, Tanvir Afzal 31*). MoM: V. Sibanda. T20I debut: R. J. Campbell (Hong Kong).
There was no glitzy ceremony at the World Twenty20's opening match, and only a few hundred people in the VCA Stadium - not helped by the fact that tickets had to be bought online or at the old VCA Ground, ten miles away. Zimbabwe were soon 62-4: Hamilton Masakadza was run out, bat and foot over the crease but poised in mid-air, while Sean Williams dragged a cutter from Tanvir Afzal on to his stumps. The graceful Vusi Sibanda added 61 with Malcolm Waller but, after three more wickets in eight balls, it took three sixes from Elton Chigumbura to haul them past 150. Ryan Campbell, at 44 the oldest man to play in a Twenty20 international, bowled some economical off-spin on debut for Hong Kong (13 years after keeping wicket in two ODIs for Australia), but could not find his timing as opener. His side were 48-2 after ten overs, and played out 60 dot balls to Zimbabwe's 44, though James Atkinson battled to a fifty.
There was no glitzy ceremony at the World Twenty20's opening match, and only a few hundred people in the VCA Stadium - not helped by the fact that tickets had to be bought online or at the old VCA Ground, ten miles away. Zimbabwe were soon 62-4: Hamilton Masakadza was run out, bat and foot over the crease but poised in mid-air, while Sean Williams dragged a cutter from Tanvir Afzal on to his stumps. The graceful Vusi Sibanda added 61 with Malcolm Waller but, after three more wickets in eight balls, it took three sixes from Elton Chigumbura to haul them past 150. Ryan Campbell, at 44 the oldest man to play in a Twenty20 international, bowled some economical off-spin on debut for Hong Kong (13 years after keeping wicket in two ODIs for Australia), but could not find his timing as opener. His side were 48-2 after ten overs, and played out 60 dot balls to Zimbabwe's 44, though James Atkinson battled to a fifty.