DELTA Beverages’ flagship brand, Castle Lager, has thrown its weight behind the Chevrons following Zimbabwe’s 107-run defeat to West Indies in their opening ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super Eight match in India on Monday.
As the proud sponsor of Zimbabwe cricket’s vibrant fan experience through Castle Corner, Castle Lager continues to stand firmly with the national team, urging unity and belief despite the early setback.
Zimbabwe head coach Justin Sammons defended his players after two costly dropped catches by Tashinga Musekiwa shifted momentum in a high-stakes encounter.
Musekiwa dropped Shimron Hetmyer early in the innings when he was on five, a moment that proved pivotal as West Indies went on to post a commanding 254/6.
Sammons insisted that errors are part of the game and called for calm heads rather than panic.
“The reality is nobody ever means to drop a catch. Moose has been one of our best fielders for the last couple of years. It happens. The best fielders in the world have dropped catches in big games, and they will continue to do so because that’s the nature of the game,” Sammons said.
He stressed the importance of trusting preparation and avoiding anxiety.
“What we’ve got to do is make sure the guys are properly prepared from a fielding point of view, which they are, and ensure they’re relaxed. The more you highlight errors, the more anxious players become,” he added.
While acknowledging that big matches often hinge on small moments, Sammons urged his team to move forward quickly.
“If Hetmyer gets out there, they’re 27 for 2 after four overs and it’s a completely different ball game. But that’s T20 cricket. You’ve got to move on and focus on the next game.”
Despite being bowled out for 147 in 17.4 overs, there were positives with Brad Evans top-scoring with 43 off 21 balls, while Dion Myers and Sikandar Raza added valuable runs. Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava claimed two wickets each.
Sammons described the chase as a learning curve.
“We’ve been batting superbly for a while. It was probably just a lesson in how to chase a big score like that. We haven’t chased 250 before, so there are massive learnings in that.”
