Kenya v Zimbabwe, World Cup 2011, Kolkata

Batsmen help Zimbabwe to dominant 308

Zimbabwe reached a dominant 308 for 6 against Kenya at Eden Gardens, Craig Ervine's aggressive 66 sparking off a late charge after half-centuries from Tatenda Taibu and Vusi Sibanda had helped their team recover from a shaky start. Sibanda and Taibu added 110 for the third wicket to lay a solid platform before Zimbabwe surged ahead through Ervine and Chigumbura's rollicking 105-run partnership, with cameos from Greg Lamb and Prosper Utseya boosting the score past 300.

The batsmen initially struggled to impose themselves after Chigumbura's decision to bat first on a cracked, dry surface that is likely to get slower and lower this afternoon. Brendan Taylor got going with a brace of rifling off-side boundaries in the first two overs but, to their credit, Kenya's new-ball bowlers quickly re-adjusted their lines, aiming closer to off stump to quieten the batsmen.

Craig Ervine

Nehemiah Odhiambo, who impressed with his pace and bounce against Australia in Bangalore, was brought on in the ninth over and with his sixth delivery achieved the breakthrough, a length delivery on a perfect line kissing the edge of Regis Chakabva's bat on the way through to wicketkeeper David Obuya. Taylor followed soon after, playing too early as the ball stopped on the wicket to spoon an easy catch to mid-on as Zimbabwe slipped to 36 for 2.

Taibu and Sibanda were generally cautious as they set about constructing a partnership after the early wickets, but while the batting surface was not conducive to stroke-making the outfield remained very fast and both batsmen were quick to seize on the bad ball. While Sibanda was more orthodox in his shots, Taibu was characteristically innovative, twice reverse-sweeping offspinner James Ngoche to the boundary.

Kenya wasted both of their reviews to contested lbw decisions in an effort to break the stand, but both Sibanda and Taibu barely offered a chance to the bowlers in the course of their partnership and Sibanda, in particular, soon began to take the attack to the bowlers. He reached a 54-ball half-century in the 28th over with an elegant loft over long-on and could have been run out immediately afterwards after a late decision from Taibu to turn a quick single down.

There had been several occasions of uncertainty in the running during the partnership, and one over later atrocious running finally cost Sibanda his wicket. Taibu was the man at fault, initially setting off before opting against the run, and with both batsmen at one end Sibanda didn't even bother to attempt to make it back to safety.

Zimbabwe's momentum barely dipped despite the wicket, however, and two overs later Taibu brought up his own fifty - and passed 3,000 runs in one-day internationals - with a scything cut to backward point. He paid the price for one cheeky reverse-sweep too many, trapped leg before for 53, but his dismissal brought Ervine and Chigumbura together for the decisive stand of the innings.

Once both had settled, they began to ping the boundary with ease and Ervine rushed to his fifty from just 46 balls in the midst of a Batting Powerplay that yielded 50 runs and the wicket of Chigumbura - caught at long-on for a rapid 38. With 300 in sight, Ervine chopped a drive onto his own stumps but Lamb and Utseya continued the charge in fine style. Utseya's shot-making was particularly impressive as he mixed powerful hits into the leg side with inventive paddles on both side of the wicket, and with their spin-heavy bowling attack Zimbabwe will be confident of defending an impressive total.

Liam Brickhill is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo