Zimbabwe suffered a disappointing start to their campaign at the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2017, going down to Ireland by 119 runs in a first-round match played in Colombo, yesterday.
Kim Garth starred with the bat for the Irish, scoring 63 as she helped her side run up a total of 237 for six in their 50 overs after they were put in to bat first.
Zimbabwe had enjoyed a promising start though with opening batter Meg Kendal getting caught by Mary-Anne Musonda off Nomatter Mutasa’s final delivery of the seventh over; 27 for one.
In the 13th over, Ireland were reduced to 42 for two after Precious Marange had Cecelia Joyce’s furniture re-arranged for 25.
But after that, Garth and Laura Delaney shared a 94-run partnership for the third wicket that handed the initiative back to the Irish and set them on the way to a big total.
The stand was finally broken in the 38th over when Mutasa struck again, ending Delaney’s impressive innings just three runs short of a half-century; 136 for three.
Three overs later, Ireland were reduced to 149 for four after Isobel Joyce fell for nine when she was stumped by the wicketkeeper Modester Mupachikwa off the bowling of Loreen Tshuma.
Garth, however, continued bossing the crease as she struck up another important partnership, for the fifth wicket, with Clare Shillington that added 52 runs and took the team total past 200.
Josephine Nkomo then conjured up a magical spell with the ball in the 47th over, first dismissing Garth for 63 and, with her next delivery, bowling out Shillington for 30.
Gaby Lewis and Mary Waldron, however, saw out the remaining overs with ease, finishing unbeaten with 13 and 18 respectively.
Nkomo and Mutasa took two wickets apiece, while Marange and Tshuma grabbed one each.
Tshuma got Zimbabwe’s chase underway with a boundary off the first ball of their innings, but the Irish bowlers, save for two wides, gave nothing afterwards until the final delivery of the fourth over which Mupachikwa smacked for a four.
The Zimbabweans then suffered a major blow in the seventh over, as Amy Kenealy grabbed the key wickets of Mupachikwa and Marange for eight and zero respectively; 26 for two.
Tshuma and Musonda attempted some repair-work with a 32-run third-wicket partnership – their team’s highest – but the writing was on the wall as soon as the duo fell in the space of nine balls.
Tshuma scored 25 off 65 balls, while Musonda faced 35 deliveries for her 20.
Ashley Ndiraya fought doggedly to save the match, but her effort was in vain as she kept losing her batting partners in quick succession.
After 34 overs of play, the score read 107 for seven, with the captain Sharne Mayers having fallen for 10, while Pellagia Mujaji and Nkomo had eight and four respectively when they were dismissed.
When Tasmeen Granger and Mutasa were sent back to the pavilion for ducks, leaving Zimbabwe on 108 for nine, the match was as good as over.
Ndiraya scored 10 more runs before her wicket fell for a fighting 35 that came off 50 balls and included six boundaries; 118 all out in 37.5 overs, with Esther Mbofana finishing unbeaten although she failed to score a single run from the six deliveries she faced.
And that was it, as Ireland wrapped up an emphatic 119-run victory.
Garth, having scored the match’s only half-century, completed her impressive all-round performance by taking three wickets.
Ciara Metcalfe also took three, while Robyn Lewis and Kenealy each bagged two wicket.
Ireland Women – 237 for 6 in 50 overs (Kim Garth 63, Laura Delaney 47, Clare Shillington 30; Josephine Nkomo 2/46, Nomatter Mutasa 2/53)
Zimbabwe Women – 118 all out in 37.5 overs (Ashley Ndiraya 35, Loreen Tshuma 25, Mary-Anne Musonda 20; Kim Garth 3/24, Ciara Metcalfe 3/38, Robyn Lewis 2/7, Amy Kenealy 2/19)
Ireland Women won by 119 runs
