HOBART : Zimbabwe stand-in skipper Brendan Taylor blamed bouts of sloppiness for his side’s poor showing at the World Cup after an agonising five-run loss to Ireland ended their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.
Saturday’s reverse meant Zimbabwe, a Test nation, had won just one of their five Pool B matches so far — and even their success against the part-timers of the UAE was a struggle.
Taylor did more than most to turn things around against Ireland with a superb century that rescued his side from what looked like a thrashing at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval but that was little consolation.
“We’ve been very disappointing, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “We came here to win three games, and we haven’t done it.
“There’s been positions against South Africa, against Pakistan, even against West Indies, positions that we could have got over the line if we were a little bit smarter as batters, hold all our catches, put our bodies on the line when we’re fielding.
“At times we’ve been very sloppy, and that’s come back to haunt us,” he added.
Proof of Taylor’s words came when, after he won the toss, Zimbabwe gave several reprieves to Ed Joyce, with the veteran Ireland batsman punishing them with 112 in a total of 331 for eight.
“You can’t give a batsman three chances,” Taylor said. “Of course he’s going to get a big hundred and lay the foundation for his team. Again, we’ve dropped chances at crucial times.”
Zimbabwe’s cause appeared hopeless when they collapsed to 74 for four.
But Taylor, leading the side in place of the injured Elton Chigumbura, struck a superb 121 under pressure and shared a fifth-wicket stand of 149 with Sean Williams (96), another of the tournament’s leading run-scorers.
Williams was given out caught right on the boundary by John Mooney.
Replays suggested Mooney might have disturbed one of the advertising ‘cushions’ encasing the rope, which would have been a six to Zimbabwe. (AGENCIES)
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