Brendan Taylor struck his maiden half century in the shortest version of the game as Zimbabwe handed Australia an embarrassing five wicket defeat in a group B thriller of the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship at the Wanderers in Cape Town today.After restricting the ODI world champion team to 138 for nine, the Zimbabweans reached the target with just one ball to spare in a rain-affected match.Needing four runs off the last two deliveries, the Africans got to the total after getting four byes off the fifth ball of the over bowled by Nathan Bracken. Man Of the Match Taylor (60 not out) anchored the Zimbabwean innings — teaming up with Vusi Sibanda (23) to put on 31 runs for the opening wicket and then adding 50 runs in a fifth-wicket partnership with Hamilton Masakadza (27).The minnows had a minor mid-innings hiccup when Chamu Chibhabha (15), Tatenda Taibu (0) and Stuart Matsikenyeri (3) departed in quick succession.But Taylor held the innings together from one end to guide Zimbabwe to a memorable win. The wicketkeeper’s innings was studded with four hits to the fence and a couple of sixes. The cliffhanger could have gone either way as the heavens opened up with Zimbabwe at 74 for 4 giving Australia hopes of a Duckworth-Lewis win. However, the rain-delay was brief and covers were quickly taken off as Zimbabwe resumed their innings.For the Aussies, medium pacer Stuart Clark was the most successful bowler, taking two wickets for 22 runs in his four overs.Pace spearhead Brett Lee, back in the side after an injury layoff, was hammered in his initial spell going for 19 in the first two overs but bowled well towards the end to pick up Masakadza’s wicket. However, the Australians were done in by a poor batting performance. Electing to bat under overcast conditions, the world champions kept losing wickets at regular intervals after a top-order collapse.The Zimbabweans, on the other hand, put up an inspired performance with Elton Chigumbura picking up three wickets. After a brief spell of rain delayed the start of play by a few minutes, Australian openers Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden departed in quick succession on a seaming track.Both the batsmen made just four runs each before leaving the Aussies reeling at 12 for 2. Skipper Ricky Ponting (8) followed the duo back to the pavilion with the team total on 19.SCOREBOARDAustralia: A Gilchrist c Matsikenyeri b Chigumbura 4, M Hayden c Taylor b Chigumbura 4, R Ponting c Chigumbura b Brent 8, A Symonds st Taylor b Masakadza 33, M Hussey run out (Sibanda) 15, B Hodge not out 35, B Haddin c Chibhabha b Utseya 6, B Lee b Brent 12, M Johnson run out (Brent/Taylor) 9, N Bracken c Sibanda b Chigumbura 4Extras (b2, w 6): 8; Total (for 9 wkts, 20 overs): 138Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-12, 3-19, 4-48, 5-86, 6-102, 7-119, 8-134, 9-138Bowling: E Chigumbura 3-0-20-3, G Brent 4-0-19-2, T Mupariwa 3-0-23-0, C Chibhabha 3-0-17-0, P Utseya 4-0-28-1, T Taibu 2-0-20-0, H Masakadza 1-0-9-1Zimbabwe: V Sibanda c Gilchrist b Bracken 23, B Taylor not out 60, C Chibhabha c Gilchrist b Clark 15, T Taibu c Gilchrist b Johnson 0, S Matsikenyeri c Gilchrist b Clark 3, H Masakadza lbw b Lee 27, E Chigumbura not out 4Extras (lb4, w3): 7; Total (for 5 wkts, 19.5 overs): 139Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-54, 3-55, 4-70, 5-123Bowling: B Lee 4-0-31-1, N Bracken 3.5-0-25-1, S Clark 4-0-22-2, M Johnson 4-0-26-1, A-Symonds 2-0-11-0, B Hodge 2-0-20-0Respect Twenty20, warns PontingCape Town: Rattled by the shocking loss to Zimbabwe in the Twenty20 World Cup, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has urged his teammates to respect the shortest form of cricket or risk being embarrassed again. Ponting hardly minced words as he blamed his batsmen for letting the game slip away with their careless attitude.“The top three batters didn’t respect their own game enough. When you don’t respect this game it gets up and bites you,” Ponting said after the match.
