Cape Town: Kevin Pietersen inspired England to a resounding win by 50 runs against giant-killers Zimbabwe after batting first and totalling a daunting 188 for nine in their ICC World Twenty20 at Newlands on Thursday.

Opting to bat, England lost Daren Maddy (14) and Luke Wright (0) off successive balls in Chigumbura’s second over and then Matt Prior (20) in the sixth before Pietersen and Collingwood joined hands and started the counter-attack.

Pietersen smashed 79 from just 37 balls with seven fours and four sixes while skipper Paul Collingwood weighed in with 37 from 28 balls as Zimbabwe were brought down to earth after Wednesday’s shock five-wicket victory over Australia.

Collingwood joined the party lifting Gary Brent over mid-wicket and then he chose Justice Chibhabha for similar treatment.

But once Prosper Utseya removed Pietersen and Collingwood returned following a mix-up, run rate took a slight dip even though England had little problem in setting a stiff target for the minnows.

In reply, the Africans were restricted to 138 for seven with Wednesday’s Man-of-the-Match Brendan Taylor again top scoring with 47 from 39 deliveries.

Seamer Dimitri Mascarenhas (3/18) and leg-spinner Chris Schofield (2/15) were the pick of the England bowlers who recovered well after an opening stand of 74 in just nine overs between Taylor and Vusi Sibanda (29).

Determined to take advantage of a short off-side boundary while facing left-arm spinner Keith Dabengwa, Pietersen played three successive reverse sweeps for a six and two fours.

Dabengwa’s over, the 13th of the innings, went for 22 and Zimbabwe’s chances of containing England to a manageable score had disappeared.

Opening bowler Elton Chigumbura struck two early blows to leave England struggling at 20 for two but that success only served to bring Pietersen to the crease earlier than expected. Chigumbura finished with creditable figures of four for 31 from his four overs.

England next face Australia on Friday almost certain of qualifying for the Super Eight group stage while the Australians must win to go through ahead of Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, the met department has predicted a good 60 per cent chance of rain for the high-profile India-Pakistan clash at Kingsmead on Friday.