Australia crashes out of T20 World Cup but Zimbabwe and New Zealand advance to Super 8s

PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Mitch Marsh’s injury-depleted Australia squad crashed out of cricket’s Twenty20 World Cup on Tuesday after Zimbabwe’s Group B game against Ireland was abandoned because of rain without a ball being bowled.

The no-result in Pallekele meant Zimbabwe qualified for the second stage of the tournament for the first time. It also ended the slim chance the 2021 champion Australia squad had of advancing after back-to-back group-stage defeats to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.

Seven teams have now qualified for the second round. Zimbabwe, which upset Australia on the weekend, will be in Group 1 along with defending champion India, West Indies and 2024 runner-up South Africa. Co-host Sri Lanka is in Group 2 with England, New Zealand and Pakistan or the U.S. team.

Earlier, Canada batter Yuvraj Samra’s exhilarating century proved in vain as New Zealand advanced to the Super 8s with an eight-wicket win in Chennai.

New Zealand’s resounding victory knocked 2024 semi-finalist Afghanistan out of the tournament.

Teenager Samra’s dream century

Samra’s 110 off 65 balls, which included six sixes and 11 fours, had earlier guided Canada to 173-4 after captain Dilpreet Bajwa won the toss and elected to bat.

The 19-year-old Samra, who gained international attention last year when he smashed a 15-ball half-century against Bahamas, became the first batter from an ICC Associate nation to score a hundred at the T20 World Cup.

“I manifested this moment ever since we qualified for the World Cup. Every single day I dreamed about scoring a hundred on this stage,” he said. “To do it here, in my first appearance (in Chennai), and as the youngest player in this World Cup – it’s truly a dream come true.”

Bajwa scored 36 and combined with Samra in 116-run first-wicket stand.

New Zealand struggled to stem the flow of runs and felt the absence of captain Mitchell Santner, who was ruled out of the game because of sickness after a “dodgy burger,” and fast bowler Lockie Ferguson.

Ferguson is on paternity leave but is expected to rejoin the team for the Super 8s. Samra had a reprieve when he was dropped, but not before he had raised his century off 58 deliveries, when the ball burst through the hands of James Neesham at long-off.

His belligerent knock ended in the final over when Phillips caught him at deep backward square leg at the second attempt.

In reply, Glenn Phillips (76 not out) and Rachin Ravindra (59 not out) led New Zealand to 176-2 in 15.1 overs on a perfect batting wicket as the Black Caps claimed their third win in Group D.

Finn Allen and Tim Seifert fell inside four balls in the power play before Phillips and Ravindra shared an electrifying 146-run partnership in just 12 overs.

Nepal ends with win

Nepal registered its third win in T20 World Cups when it beat Scotland by seven wickets in Mumbai. It was the last game for both teams which had already been eliminated from Group C.

Dipendra Singh Airee scored 50 not out off 23 balls with three sixes and four fours as Nepal finished with 171-3, securing victory with four balls to spare. Opener Kushal Bhurtel scored 43, including four sixes.

Earlier, medium pacer Sompal Kami picked 3-25 as Scotland posted 170-7, powered by opener Michael Jones’s 71 off 45 balls.

It was the third-highest successful run-chase for an Associate nation in tournament history and a first win for Nepal in 12 years at the T20 World Cup. It had earlier beaten Hong Kong and Afghanistan in 2014, but went winless in 2024.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket