NEW DELHI: Shimron Hetmyer went berserk with a stunning 34-ball 85 before Rovman Powell’s 59 powered West Indies to a massive 254/6, the second-highest total in T20 World Cup history, during their Super Eights clash against Zimbabwe on Monday.

Given two reprieves, West Indies’ No. 3 Hetmyer brought up his second fifty of the tournament in explosive fashion, smashing seven sixes and seven fours. He also recorded the fastest half-century of this edition off just 19 balls, surpassing his own earlier mark of 22 balls in the tournament.

Overall, West Indies hammered 19 sixes on a batting-friendly surface, finishing just short of the tournament record of 260/6 set by Sri Lanka against Ireland in the inaugural 2007 edition.

Like several of his teammates, Zimbabwe’s Tashinga Musekiwa was making his first appearance at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, but the 26-year-old will remember the outing for different reasons — dropping Hetmyer twice, on nine and again on 70.

Brandon King (9), after clearing the ropes off Richard Ngarava (2/47), holed out to Musekiwa at deep backward square in the third over.

In the very next over, however, Musekiwa spilled a straightforward chance at the same position, giving Hetmyer a life off Blessing Muzarabani (2/42), and that moment changed the course of the innings.

Hetmyer had started confidently, flicking the first ball he faced over midwicket for four, and though he miscued one straight to deep backward square, Musekiwa could not hold on.

Having crossed over by then, Hetmyer grimaced and gestured in frustration, fully aware of the escape.

Ngarava was then dispatched for two successive boundaries before Graeme Cremer was launched for a pair of towering sixes in the seventh over, as Hetmyer shifted gears decisively.

Batting bareheaded as is his trademark, Hetmyer unleashed a relentless assault, leaving the Zimbabwe attack searching for answers.

Captain Sikandar Raza, who later took a painful blow from a Powell direct hit, tried to stem the flow, but Hetmyer hammered him for three sixes on the leg side to collect 20 runs in the eighth over.

Hetmyer’s blistering charge

West Indies amassed 124 runs between overs 2 and 12, with Hetmyer leading the carnage and Powell providing robust support. The pair stitched together a 122-run stand off just 52 balls for the third wicket.

While Hetmyer dominated the spotlight, Powell never looked content to play a supporting role. The duo ran sharply between the wickets, and Powell capitalised whenever the bowlers erred.

His 35-ball 59 featured four boundaries and four sixes, underlining the depth of the West Indies batting.

Late flourish seals mammoth total

As the innings drew to a close, Sherfane Rutherford (31 not out), Romario Shepherd (21) and Jason Holder (13) added the finishing touches.

Their late surge ensured West Indies surged past the 250-mark, capping off a breathtaking batting display.

(With PTI Inputs)