KING CITY, Ont. - Canada made myriad errors in the outfield and Zimbabwe gladly accepted the extra runs for a blowout 184-5 win in the Al Barakah Twenty/20 International series on Monday.
A dreadful showing in every aspect of the game turned into a comprehensive 109-run victory for the Africans, who finished third.
It was the second largest margin of victory (by runs) in a Twenty/20 International behind Sri Lanka's overwhelming 172-run win over Kenya in last year's World Cup in South Africa.
"It was definitely a bad day for us at the office," conceded Canada's captain Sunil Dhaniram. "We simply did not play to the best of our capabilities."
Smart and alert running between the stumps are key features of the Zimbabweans game, and they effectively used those strategies in the sport's short version to their advantage on a bright and sunny day.
Opener Hamilton Masakadza and Chamu Chibhabha set the tone for their team's highest Twenty/20 International score with an efficient second wicket partnership of 89 in 10.1 overs.
Zimbabwe was asked to bat first by Canada, whose atrocious fielding and tardiness in the outfield resulted in close to another 30 additional runs for their opponents.
After Chibhabha departed for 40 off 35 balls in the 12th over with the total at 93, Masakadza dominated a third wicket 40-run stand with wicketkeeper/batsman Tatenda Taibu before he was brilliantly stumped down the leg side by Ashif Mulla off medium pacer Abdool Samad in the 16th over for 79 off 52 balls with three sixes and eight boundaries.
It was the highest individual total so far and the best score by a Zimbabwean in eight Twenty/20 Internationals.
"I was striking the ball nicely," said Masakadza who was the man of the match. "I am enjoying Twenty/20 cricket."
Zimbabwe's skipper Prosper Utseya made a shrewd move, opening the bowling with left-arm spinner Ray Price in an effort to thwart the hard-hitting and free-swinging Rizwan Cheema from extending his arms to bludgeon the ball.
Bowling straight and just short of a full length, the tactic paid dividends as a frustrated Cheema jumped down the wicket to Price in the fourth over and was stumped for just two.
Price combined with opening medium pacer Chris Mpofu to concede just 14 runs off seven overs for three wickets and Utseya took 3-26 off his four overs and Taibu effected three stumpings to send Canada reeling to its lowest total -- 75 -- in five Twenty/20 Internationals.
Canada's previous lowest total was 91 against Kenya in Belfast last August.
"We did well in all three departments of the game," said a proud Utseya. "The wicket was slow and turning and we had four quality spinners who did the job today."
Pakistan and Sri Lanka played the final later Monday.
