The Netherlands and Zimbabwe have qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 after defeating the United States and PNG in the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B, respectively.

Netherlands defeated USA by seven wickets in their semi-final after restricting USA to 138 in 19.4 overs, while Zimbabwe defeated a valiant PNG by 27 runs.

The Netherlands triumphed by seven wickets
Toss: The United States chose to bat.

It was a dream start for the United States, which was hoping to compete in their first global ICC tournament. With a 51-run opening stand in just five overs, Steven Taylor and skipper Monank Patel laid a solid foundation.

Paul van Meekeren drew the first blood for the Netherlands, dismissing Taylor for 26 – his lowest score in the tournament so far. Unfortunately for the Americans, the wicket caused a collapse.

Monank was the next batter out, caught off Shariz Ahmad for a solid 15-ball 32. The only other batters to reach double figures were Aaron Jones (15), Jaskaran Malhotra (12), and Nisarg Patel (28) as the pressure got the better of the USA lineup. N

The Netherlands fought back well and bowled out the USA in 19.4 overs for 138.

The Netherlands, chasing 139, got off to a shaky start, losing opener Stephan Myburgh for a duck to Saurabh Netravalkar. Following the early hiccup, Max O’Dowd and Bas de Leede batted cautiously.

They shifted gears with three boundaries in the final over of the Powerplay, finishing the first six overs on 53/1. The Dutch lost two wickets in consecutive overs, but de Leede continued to lead the attack, scoring a crucial fifty off 33 balls.

Following that, Leede lost Max O’Dowd (16) and Tom Cooper (1) in quick succession, but he held firm, forming an important partnership with captain Scott Edwards to guide the team to a second consecutive ICC Men’s T20 World Cup appearance.

Zimbabwe won by a score of 27 runs.
Toss: Zimbabwe chose to bat

The tournament organizers Zimbabwe’s decision to bring a bat proved fruitful at first. Regis Chakabva and skipper Craig Ervine got things going well, with the former taking an aggressive approach.

Chakabva hit the first boundary of the match in the first over, then followed it up with a flurry of fours, three in a row off Sema Kamea. He smacked a six an over later, looking even more dangerous.

His blazing innings, however, was cut short by Sese Bau, who had him caught in front for a 19-ball 30. The wicket, however, did not halt Zimbabwe’s run-flow, as both Ervine and Wesley Madhevere hit regular boundaries. Zimbabwe was on 90/1 at the end of the 10th over.

However, the hosts lost Ervine on 38 in the next five overs, while Madhevere fell after top-scoring with a 29-ball 42. The middle order contributed valuable runs, allowing their team to post a strong 199/5 from 20 overs.

With the dismissal of opener Lega Siaka on the first ball of PNG’s innings, Zimbabwe had everything going their way. They were reduced to 45/3 in the Powerplay after losing two more wickets in quick succession.

Tony Ura began attacking with the bat as the asking rate increased, smashing two sixes in a row in Sikandar Raza’s over. His partner, Charles Amini, was also on track for a big inning before succumbing to Luke Jongwe’s outside-off yorker. Ura, on the other hand, remained unaffected as he went about his business, breaking boundaries at will.

Zimbabwe blew a big opportunity when they had Ura caught when he was on 49, but the delivery was ruled a no-ball because bowler Richard Ngarava overstepped. Ura was eventually bowled out for a 35-ball 66. Following that, the bowlers kept the pressure on.

PNG were 139/5 when Ura fell. They finished with 172/8 after 20 overs, falling 27 runs short. Zimbabwe’s home crowd erupted as they confirmed their place in Australia’s marquee event.

Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 teams confirmed

Note: The teams that advanced to the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2021 automatically qualified for the event in 2022.

The following teams will compete in the first round, which is divided into two groups. The top two teams from each group will compete in the Super 12s alongside Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and South Africa.

Best Sports Betting Site for T20 World Cup

Looking for the safest Betting site for T20 World Cup Matches? OKBET got you covered! OKBET is licensed and regulated under the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation in the Philippines making it the safest place to bet on any sports events worldwide. If You’re into T20 world cup betting, OKBET sports betting site is your best choice.
No OKBET Account yet? Signup here for a referral code and get up to 50% cashback bonus, 68% cashback bonus on your second deposit. Many more promotions await you. Place your bets now!

Stay in the Loop for more T20 world cup betting updates!