Mountaineers Women Seal Place In Women’s T20 Cup Final

Tuskers Women – 129-5 in 20 overs (Loreen Tshuma 38, Chiedza Dhururu 21, Natasha Mthomba 19*; Audrey Mazvishaya 1/14, Andrietta Mathema 1/20, Nyasha Gwanzura 1/24)

Mountaineers Women – 130-2 in 17.5 overs (Loryn Phiri 36, Pellagia Mujaji 29*, Nyasha Gwanzura 23*; Tasmeen Granger 1/22, Loreen Tshuma 1/23)

Mountaineers Women won by eight wickets

Mountaineers Women have booked their place in the Women’s T20 Cup final after thrashing Tuskers Women by eight wickets in their penultimate round-robin match at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.

Tuskers batted first on winning the toss, and did very well to reach a score of 129 for five wickets after the early loss of Sibonginkosi Ncube and Tasmeen Granger, both without scoring.

This was due to Loreen Tshuma’s fine batting as opener, as she began with a burst of quick runs and then consolidated to help her team after those early losses.

She scored 38 off 34 balls before being run out with the score now a much more encouraging 70 for three wickets after only nine overs.

The middle order batted consistently without quite being able to maintain this good rate of scoring, with a good partnership between Nomvelo Sibanda (15) and Chiedza Dhururu (21), while Natasha Mthomba scored 19 not out at the death.

Audrey Mazvishaya did the best among the bowlers, conceding only 14 runs off her four overs and taking the valuable wicket of Granger with a return catch.

Mountaineers had to bat well to haul down their target of 130, and this they did, especially as for once Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano did not feature largely, being the first batter out for an aggressive 19 off 14 balls – and Tshuma was the bowler to take her vital wicket lbw at 36 in the fifth over.

Mugeri-Tiripano’s team-mates got them home with some fine batting, though, as her opening partner Loryn Phiri went on to score 36 off 52 balls to lay a firm foundation, while Pellagia Mujaji and Nyasha Gwanzura, with 29 and 23, both not out, finished the job by scoring the last 49 runs in less than five overs.

Tshuma finished with the wicket of Mugeri-Tiripano for 23 runs in her four overs.

The margin of Mountaineers Women’s victory was eight wickets, and they played very well for it, but Tuskers Women deserve some praise for their spirited fight.

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Alliance Health Eagles Women – 95-9 in 20 overs (Modester Mupachikwa 34, Adelle Zimunhu 23, Mitchell Mavunga 10; Josephine Nkomo 4/7, Ashley Ndiraya 3/23, Diveniah Ndhlalambi 1/5)

Rhinos Women – 98-5 in 19.4 overs (Josephine Nkomo 29*, Mary-Anne Musonda 22, Ashley Ndiraya 21*; Precious Marange 2/8, Olinda Chare 2/14)

Rhinos Women won by five wickets

Rhinos Women captain Josephine Nkomo produced a devastating opening spell of bowling that was to send Alliance Health Eagles tumbling to a five-wicket defeat in the other Women’s T20 Cup match played at Old Hararians Sports Club on Tuesday.

In her first two overs, after winning the toss and putting in Eagles Women to bat first, she bowled out Beloved Biza first ball, Kellies Ndlovu second ball and trapped Precious Marange lbw off the third ball she faced, all without scoring, the score then being 11 for three wickets.

In Nkomo’s third over, Alice Marongwe was also lbw, having scored one, and Eagles Women were 26 for four.

Most of the runs came from Modester Mupachikwa, who survived the carnage to score 34 off 22 balls, while Adelle Zimunhu scored 23, but only a partial recovery was possible after Nkomo’s spell of four wickets for seven runs in her four overs.

Ashley Ndiraya backed up her captain well, taking three wickets for 23, and in the end Eagles Women did well to struggle to 95 for nine wickets after their 20 overs.

Rhinos Women in reply made 42 before their first wicket fell, although Ashley Ndiraya had temporarily retired hurt.

Mary-Anne Musonda was then out lbw to Olinda Chare, and suddenly Rhinos Women faltered, as Chare and Marange took two wickets each for a total of seven runs in four overs, after which the score was 49 for four wickets and Eagles Women were right back in the game.

But now Nkomo came to the rescue of her side with the bat, as fortunately for her Rhinos Women had overs in hand, which enabled her to play herself in and score steadily, with more defensive support from Dana Ndiraya at the other end.

After Dana was run out, her sister Ashley returned and with Nkomo ticked off the remaining runs to win the match with a score of 98 for five wickets with two balls to spare at the end.

Nkomo finished a wonderful match for herself with 29 not out off 38 balls to add to her brilliant four-wicket burst, while Ashley was 21 not out at the end off 21 balls.

 

The last round-robin matches scheduled for Wednesday will decide who, between Alliance Health Eagles and Rhinos Women, will face Mountaineers Women in the Women’s T20 Cup final that has now been moved from Thursday to Saturday at Harare Sports Club.

 

2021/22 WOMEN’S T20 CUP POINTS TABLE