Australia suffered a stunning one-run loss to outsiders Zimbabwe in their opening World Twenty20 warm-up match in St Lucia on Tuesday. Zimbabwe made 173 for seven, featuring a dashing 76 from Elton Chigumbura, in their 20 overs before holding Australia to 172 for seven.
Opener David Warner top-scored for Australia with 72 and Twenty20 captain Michael Clarke made 49 but, even though left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson had earlier taken four wickets for 23 runs, Zimbabwe denied Australia victory. Australia needed 13 off the final over but Clarke was dimissed off the penultimate delivery before Johnson, one of several Aussies to be run out, was exited off a wide. Chigumbura’s 76 runs came from just 35 balls with six sixes and five fours in an innings where Australia all-rounder Shane Watson’s two overs went for an expensive 34 runs.
Australia’s opening match of the tournament proper is against defending champions Pakistan in St Lucia on Sunday. In other warm-up matches, New Zealand proved too strong for minnows Ireland in a 40-run victory in Guyana. Pakistan has it easy against the Windward Islands winning by 68 runs in a warm-up match in St Lucia while, in Bridgetown, Bangladesh beat Barbados by 36 runs.
Australia shocked by Zimbabwe in T20 Worldcup Warm ups in Westindies
April 28, 2010
By ab-admin