Lady Chevrons on a roll
Zimbabwe Women: 145-2 20 overs (Mupachikwa 62, Meyers 40, Tiripano 31, Ishimwe 1/16)Rwanda Women: 63-8 20 overs (Ishimwe 19, Granger 3/11, Mutasa 2/7, Mushangwe 2/10)Zimbabwe women won by 82 runs
By Mehluli Sibanda
Zimbabwe booked a place in the final of the International Cricket Council Women’s Twenty20 Africa Qualifier with a resounding 82-run triumph over Rwanda in their third match of the qualifying tournament at Old Hararians yesterday.
Zimbabwe batsman Modester Mupachikwa raises her bat on reaching half century in action during a World Cup Cricket Qualifier match played with Zimbabwe at Old Hararians Sports Club in Harare, May 9 2019.
The Lady Chevrons will now meet Namibia in the final at Harare Sports Club on Sunday where the winner will proceed to the global qualifiers.
Opener Modester Mupachikwa top scored for the Lady Chevrons with 62 runs, with fellow opening partner Sharne Mayers knocking 40.
Openers Modester Mupachikwa and Sharne Mayers
Chipo Tiripano made an unbeaten 31, as Zimbabwe, who won the toss and elected to bat, posted 145 for two in their allotted 20 overs.
The Zimbabwean bowlers were on top of their game to restrict Rwanda to 68 runs for eight in 20 overs.
Player of the Match, Mupachikwa and Mayers gave Zimbabwe a solid foundation with an 82-run stand for the first wicket.
The two were only separated in the 13th over when Mayers was run out.
Mupachikwa only fell in the 19th over having shared in a second wicket partnership of 51 runs.
Leg-spinner Tasmeen Granger picked up three wickets in quick succession, leaving the Rwandese wobbling at 9/3 in the fourth over.
Another leg-spinner Anesu Mushangwe and pace bowler Nomatter Mutasa joined the party, as Zimbabwe exerted pressure on Rwanda, leaving the visitors far short of the set target.
Granger ended with three wickets for 11 runs off four overs, Mutasa had two for seven while Mushangwe took two wickets for 10.
Mary-Anne Musonda the Zimbabwe captain
Lady Chevrons skipper Mary-Anne Musonda was pleased with the win over Rwanda, their third in a row following triumphs over Mozambique and Tanzania.
“Obviously wins are a positive for the captain; you just feel like all the plans you’re making are really coming together and the girls are happy about it.
“We face Namibia, we have faced them before, we kind of have an idea of how they play,” Musonda said.
Asked what their strategy was heading into the match against Rwanda, Musonda indicated that they were eager to bat first to give their bowlers something to defend.
Zimbabwe play Nigeria at Old Hararians tomorrow in what will be their last match in the group prior to taking on Namibia in Sunday’s final at HSC. The Chronicle
