Zimbabwe smash 344 in T20 cricket as records tumble during 290-run win over The Gambia

Zimbabwe plundered the highest score in T20 cricket after racking up 344-4 against The Gambia in the sides' regional World Cup qualifier in Nairobi.

The Chevrons' total eclipsed the 314-3 Nepal cracked against Mongolia in September 2023.

Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza hit 133 not out from 43 balls, reaching his century in 33 deliveries and hitting 15 sixes and seven fours.

The Gambia were rolled for 54 in 14.4 overs in reply as Zimbabwe secured a 290-run win, the highest victory margin in the format, trumping Nepal's 273-run demolition of Mongolia.

Gambian seamer Musa Jobarteh registered eye-watering figures of 0-93 from his four overs, giving him an economy rate of 23.25.

Those figures were the most expensive in T20 cricket, eclipsing the 0-82 Derbyshire leg-spinner Matthew McKiernan conceded against Somerset in the 2022 Vitality Blast.

Zimbabwe openers Brian Bennett (50 off 26) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (62 off 19) hammered 98 for the first wicket in 34 balls, before Raza and Clive Madande (53no off 17) thumped 141 in 40 deliveries for the fifth wicket.

Zimbabwe - whose 27 sixes was also a record in men's T20Is - have advanced to the next stage of Africa qualifying for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, alongside Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania and Uganda.

It was a day of cricketing records being smashed with New Zealander Chad Bowes hitting the fastest List A double century, from 103 balls, while batting for Canterbury against Otago.