Mountaineers Women – 110-3 in 20 overs (Loryn Phiri 41, Pellagia Mujaji 34*, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 19; Kellies Ndlovu 1/12, Precious Marange 1/30)
Alliance Health Eagles Women – 111-3 in 18.3 overs (Kellies Ndlovu 46*, Beloved Biza 30, Modester Mupachikwa 14; Loryn Phiri 1/17, Audrey Mazvishaya 1/18)
Alliance Health Eagles Women won by seven wickets
Alliance Health Eagles Women have been crowned the Women’s T20 Cup champions after Kellies Ndlovu came good with a well-paced innings of 46 not out that took her team to a seven-wicket victory over Mountaineers Women in the final played at Harare Sports Club on Thursday.
Eagles Women put their opponents in to bat on winning the toss, which turned out to be important as, perhaps rather tense due to the occasion, the Mountaineers Women team did not in the end pace their innings well enough.
They finished with only three wickets down after their 20 overs, but their 110 runs fell short of what they needed to win the match.
Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano gave her team quite a good start by scoring 19 off 21 balls before she was stumped off Precious Marange, with the score at 38.
However, when Nyasha Gwanzura was run out for three the score was 47 for two in the 10th over, and an increase in the scoring rate was desirable.
Unfortunately, the other opening batter, Loryn Phiri, was unable to move the score along quickly enough for her side’s needs.
She faced exactly half the balls in her team’s innings and scored only 41 runs before she was out in the 18th over, at 88 for three.
The Eagles Women bowlers were never seriously tested, and Lianne Masora bowled her four overs for only 14 runs, a very valuable effort for her team although she did not take a wicket.
Only in the last two overs did the runs flow, with 22 runs coming from them, mostly scored by Pellagia Mujaji who finished with 34 not out off 30 balls.
A total of 111 was not a very difficult target for Eagles Women, as long as they kept their nerve.
Modester Mupachikwa began briskly with 14 off 15 balls, while her opening partner Beloved Biza was rather more cautious in making 30 off 48 balls.
It was Ndlovu’s fine innings that kept Eagles Women ahead of the clock, as she kept the runs coming at a good pace.
The match was almost over when Biza was out with the score at 101 in the 18th over.
Marange was run out first ball, but Mitchell Mavunga joined Ndlovu and they knocked off the rest of the runs with comfort.
Ndlovu’s 46 not out came off 44 balls and it included five fours.
Phiri may have been slow with the bat, but she did well with the ball, taking two wickets for only 17 runs in her four overs.
Mugeri-Tiripano was even more economical, conceding only 13 runs off her four, but the batters were able to score more freely off the other bowlers.
The victory means Eagles Women have won all the provincial women’s trophies this season, having earlier claimed the Fifty50 Challenge silverware.
Ndlovu was named player of the final, batter of the tournament as well as player of the tournament.
Mavunga scooped the bowler of the tournament accolade to complete a clean sweep by Eagles Women.
