Northerns Women – 141-3 in 20 overs (Nyasha Gwanzura 39*, Chiedza Dhururu 31*, Ashley Ndiraya 28; Lindokuhle Mabhero 1/16)

Southerns Women – 55-2 in 8.3 overs (Modester Mupachikwa 30, Josephine Nkomo 17*, Kellies Ndlovu 2; Olinda Chare 1/1, Mitchell Mavunga 1/9)

 

Match tied (Duckworth-Lewis method)

Nyasha Gwanzura played the major innings in the first Women’s Regional T20 match at Old Hararians Sports Club in Harare on Thursday.

It was unfortunate that a burst of rain should have ended the match prematurely, as the Duckworth-Lewis result of a tie showed how closely this game was being fought.

Northerns Women, put in to bat first, soon lost Mary-Anne Musonda, run out for six, but this was followed by a good partnership between Ashley Ndiraya (28 off 35 balls) and Pellagia Mujaji (17 off 17).

Their work was continued by Chiedza Dhururu, who scored 31 off 35 balls, and Gwanzura, who raced to an unbeaten 39 off only 31 balls, including a six and four fours.

This pair put on 66 in less than nine overs for the fourth wicket without being parted, taking the score to 141 for three wickets after 20 overs had been completed.

The only bowler to take a wicket, as there were two run-outs, was Lindokuhle Mabhero, who removed Mujaji lbw.

Precious Marange bowled economically for four overs and conceded only 20 runs.

Southerns Women soon lost Kellies Ndlovu, bowled by Mitchell Mavunga for two, but Modester Mupachikwa and Josephine Nkomo then kept their team in the hunt by taking the score to 55.

At this score Mupachikwa was bowled by Olinda Chare’s third ball for 30 off 32 balls, and at this point rain began to fall, with Nkomo not out with 17 off 16.

It was most unfortunate for Southerns Women, as had Mupachikwa survived that delivery they would have achieved a narrow victory on Duckworth-Lewis.

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Southerns Women – 124-2 in 15 overs (Modester Mupachikwa 60, Josephine Nkomo 47*, Kellies Ndlovu 5; Nomvelo Sibanda 1/20, Mitchell Mavunga 1/23)

Northerns Women – 104-7 in 15 overs (Sharne Mayers 36, Pellagia Mujaji 20, Mary-Anne Musonda 15; Kellies Ndlovu 3/16, Josephine Nkomo 2/13, Precious Marange 1/18)

 

Southerns Women won by 21 runs (Duckworth-Lewis method)

A superb century partnership between Modester Mupachikwa and Josephine Nkomo paved the way for a 22-run (Duckworth-Lewis) victory for Southerns Women over Northerns Women in the second T20 match between the two at Old Hararians Sports Club on Thursday.

Rain also interfered with this match at the start, so it was reduced to a 15-over contest.

Southerns Women again won the toss, but this time deciding to bat, perhaps in anticipation of the possibility of an adjusted target for the side batting second.

They lost Kellies Ndlovu in the second over, caught off Mitchell Mavunga for five.

However, there followed the brilliant partnership between Mupachikwa and Nkomo, who flogged the hapless bowlers to put on 114 for the second wicket.

They were only parted by the penultimate ball of the innings, when Mupachikwa was caught at the wicket by Chiedza Dhururu off the bowling of Nomvelo Sibanda for 60.

She had faced only 44 balls and hit a six and seven fours.

Nkomo, who is captain of the side, was not out with 47 off 37 balls, having hit a six and five fours.

A leg-bye was taken off the final delivery, which gave Southerns Women the excellent score of 124 for only two wickets.

Northerns Women knew they would have to bat brilliantly themselves if they were to win, and Mary-Anne Musonda and Sharne Mayers went full guns from the start.

The first over of the innings cots 11 runs and the second 14.

Only 14 legitimate deliveries had been bowled for 30 runs when Musonda was run out for 15, which she scored off seven balls.

Ashley Ndiraya soon went for three, so Pellagia Mujaji joined Mayers.

 

But they were struggling to maintain the run rate when Mayers was caught for 36 off 34 balls at 86 for three in the 12th over.

Mujaji soon followed for 20 off 22 balls, and then Nyasha Gwanzura, the one remaining player who might have carried off victory, went for three, so Northerns Women were now 90 for five in the 13th over.

Dhururu tried her best with nine not out, but more wickets fell so after 15 overs the score was 104 for seven wickets, and Southerns Women had won.

The bowling of Ndlovu played an important part, as she took three top-order wickets in her three overs for 16 runs as a crucial time.

Mountaineers Women – 14 all out in 6.2 overs (Nyasha Gwanzura 9*, Loryn Phiri 1, Patricia Mutembo 1; Esther Mbofana 7/1, Mitchell Mavunga 2/13)

Alliance Health Eagles Women – 15-1 in 4 overs (Modester Mupachikwa 7*, Kellies Ndlovu 2*, Beloved Biza 2; Audrey Mazvishaya 1/9)

 

Alliance Health Eagles Women won by nine wickets

Esther Mbofana returned the almost unbelievable bowling figures of seven wickets for just one run in three overs as Alliance Health Eagles Women bowled out Mountaineers Women for just 14 runs in a Women’s T20 Cup match at Old Hararians Sports Club on Wednesday.

Furthermore, that run recorded against her bowling was a wide – not a single run was scored off her from the bat.

Another remarkable fact is that of the 14 runs credited to Mountaineers Women, nine of those were scored by Nyasha Gwanzura, who went in at number three and was not out at the end.

 

There were also two wides and a no-ball.

Never can a side have regretted batting first on winning the toss more than Mountaineers Women did today.

Mitchell Mavunga bowled the first over, which included the wicket of Pellagia Mujaji, bowled without scoring.

Mbofana began her devastating spell quietly, with just one wicket in her first over, Loryn Phiri bowled for one.

In her second over, she removed three batters at the cost of a wide, and in her final over took a hat-trick with her third, fourth and fifth deliveries.

Mavunga brought the innings to an end in the following over, with Gwanzura left not out with nine.

The other 10 batters scored just two singles between them, and Gwanzura did not get to face a single delivery from Mbofana.

Her full bowling figures read three overs, two maidens, one run and seven wickets.

The whole innings of Mountaineers Women, who began this match at the top of the tournament table, lasted six overs and two balls.

Eagles Women obviously had no need for haste in chasing the target, and they took four overs to score the runs for the loss of Beloved Biza, bowled by Audrey Mazvishaya for two.

Modester Mupachikwa scored seven not out and Kellies Ndlovu two not out, and the two teams are now tied at the top of the tournament table with 40 points each, so they will meet again in the final scheduled for Harare Sports Club on Thursday.

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Tuskers Women – 121-8 in 20 overs (Loreen Tshuma 34, Chiedza Dhururu 22*, Anita Chisirimunhu 11; Josephine Nkomo 3/15, Diveniah Ndhlalambi 2/22, Vimbai Kavava 1/14) 

Rhinos Women – 125-1 in 17 overs (Mary-Anne Musonda 57*, Ashley Ndiraya 55*; Philanthropic Shango 1/23)

 

Rhinos Women won by nine wickets

Ashley Ndiraya and Mary-Anne Musonda both scored fifties at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday to enable Rhinos Women to beat Tuskers Women by nine wickets in the last match of the tournament for both teams.

Tuskers Women batted first, and were able to build a fair total of 121 for eight wickets in an otherwise disappointing tournament for them.

Loreen Tshuma led the way with an innings of 34, opening the batting with Sibonginkosi Ncube (8), their partnership being worth 32 runs in 5.4 overs.

With Chiedza Dhururu playing a good game for 22 not out, Tuskers Women were able to pass 100 with only five batters out in the 18th over.

Anita Chisirimunhu also played a useful innings of 11 off only seven balls, which included two fours at a time when runs were needed quickly.

Josephine Nkomo again was the best bowler and took three wickets for 15 runs, while Diveniah Ndhlalambi chipped in with two wickets.

The Rhinos Women bowling was not at its best, and 31 of the runs scored by Tuskers Women came from extras, including 25 wides.

When Rhinos Women batted, they quickly lost the wicket of Kelly Ndiraya, bowled by Philanthropic Shango without scoring in the second over.

However, after that the weakness of the Tuskers Women bowling told against them, and Ashley Ndiraya and Musonda were able to score quickly and steadily to take the Midlanders home without the loss of another wicket and with three overs to spare.

Ashley finished not out with 55 off the same number of balls, with eight fours, and Musonda with 57 not out off 45 balls, with two sixes and six fours.

Although Shango took the only wicket to fall, her two overs cost 23 runs.

It is unfortunate for Rhinos Women that their previous match against Tuskers Women was washed out by rain, as a victory there might have qualified them for the final.

2021/22 WOMEN’S T20 CUP POINTS TABLE

Tuskers Women – 40 all out in 13.4 overs (Sibonginkosi Ncube 13, Anita Chisirimunhu 6, Lindokuhle Mabhero 6*; Mitchell Mavunga 5/11, Precious Marange 3/4, Elita Chitumba 1/3)

Alliance Health Eagles Women – 41-5 in 11.1 overs (Mitchell Mavunga 14, Modester Mupachikwa 12, Alice Marongwe 6*; Nomvelo Sibanda 4/17, Philanthropic Shango 1/9)

 

Alliance Health Eagles Women won by five wickets

A superb bowling spell by Mitchell Mavunga for Alliance Health Eagles Women sent Tuskers Women tumbling towards an all-out total of only 40 and a five-wicket defeat in their Women’s T20 Cup match at Old Hararians Sports Club on Monday.

Tuskers Women were put in to bat and the first-wicket pair of Nomvelo Sibanda and Sibonginkosi Ncube put on 11 runs together, which in the context of what was to follow constituted a good start.

Then Mavunga struck for the first time in her second over, bowling Sibanda for two and two balls later doing the same to Tasmeen Granger.

Precious Marange supported her well, bowling Chiedza Dhururu without scoring, while in her next over Mavunga bowled Ncube for 13, which proved to be much the highest score of the innings.

Three wickets fell with the score on 21, and after Mavunga had finished her devastating four overs the score was 21 for eight wickets off seven overs.

Her enforced retirement from the bowling crease, soon followed by the end of Marange’s spell, allowed the last three batters to take the score to 40 before the innings closed in the 14th over.

Mavunga’s final bowling figures were five wickets for 11 runs, while Marange finished with three wickets for only four runs.

Sibanda fought back for Tuskers Women with the ball when Eagles Women went in to chase down their small target of 41.

Modester Mupachikwa tried to win the match in style, hitting Sibanda for three fours in the opening over before she drove a return catch to depart for 12 off the fifth ball of the innings.

Then Sibanda caught Kellies Ndlovu for one off the bowling of Philanthropic Shango, before she had Marange caught for two in her third over.

But Mavunga also starred with the bat, scoring 14 before Sibanda dismissed her too in her final over.

It was left to Adelle Zimunhu (three not out) and Alice Marongwe (six not out) to take Eagles Women home by five wickets in the 12th over.

Sibanda finished with figures of four wickets for 17 runs.

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Mountaineers Women – 126-5 in 20 overs (Nyasha Gwanzura 56, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 22, Loryn Phiri 15; Mary-Anne Musonda 2/17, Diveniah Ndhlalambi 1/12, Dana Ndiraya 1/21)

Rhinos Women – 102 all out in 20 overs (Mary-Anne Musonda 34, Kelly Ndiraya 21, Dana Ndiraya 8; Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 2/11, Loryn Phiri 2/14, Audrey Mazvishaya 2/16)

 

Mountaineers Women won by 24 runs

A fine fifty by Nyasha Gwanzura was the main factor in Mountaineers Women’s 24-run victory over Rhinos Women in their Women’s T20 Cup match at Harare Sports Club on Monday.

Mountaineers Women, put in to bat, always seemed to be in front in this match after Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano and Loren Phiri put on 29 for the first wicket.

Mugeri-Tiripano scored 22 off 19 balls, while Phiri played more carefully with 15 off 30 balls, but Gwanzura at the other end made up for her slower batting with her dashing fifty.

None of the later batters were able to come through, so Gwanzura had to do the job almost alone as she ran to 56 off 49 balls, finally being caught by Mary-Anne Musonda off the bowling of Josephine Nkomo in the penultimate over.

The innings closed at 126 for five, with Musonda as the most successful bowler, taking two wickets for 17 in her three overs.

Musonda also did her best for Rhinos Women as they chased the target, scoring 34 off 30 balls before Gwanzura again left her mark on the match by bowling her just as Rhinos Women were looking dangerous with a score of 71 for two after 12 overs.

Kelly Ndiraya had supported her in an opening partnership of 55, but her 21 came off 38 balls, which was not as brisk as was desirable.

Her innings ended with a return catch to Mugeri-Tiripano, who then dismissed her sister Ashley for four, a vital blow for Rhinos Women.

Musonda had given her team a good chance of victory, but the rest of the Rhinos Women batting fell completely to pieces, as not one of the later batters was able to reach double figures.

Dana Ndiraya, another of the sisterhood, scored eight, but the next highest was only four.

Eight wickets were down when the score reached 100 in the final over, and the last wicket, that of Dana, fell to the last possible delivery of the match.

There were two wickets each for Audrey Mazvishaya, Phiri and Mugeri-Tiripano, the last-named taking her valuable wickets for only 11 runs in her four overs.

 

2021/22 WOMEN’S T20 CUP POINTS TABLE

Tuskers Women – 101-6 in 20 overs (Chiedza Dhururu 30, Tasmeen Granger 20, Sibonginkosi Ncube 12; Francisca Chipare 2/20, Kudzai Chigora 1/20)

Mountaineers Women – 102-1 in 15.5 overs (Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 58*, Pellagia Mujaji 11*, Loryn Phiri 11; Lindokuhle Mabhero 1/19)

 

Mountaineers Women won by nine wickets

 

Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano was again the heroine for Mountaineers Women as she scored an unbeaten fifty to lead her team to an easy nine-wicket victory over Tuskers Women in their Women’s T20 Cup match at Old Hararians Sports Club on Friday.

Tuskers Women, batting first, never quite managed to dominate the Mountaineers Women bowling in their innings, when they only managed to score 101 for six wickets in their 20 overs.

Loreen Tshuma was run out for six and Sibonginkosi Ncube was out for 12 as the two opening batters, while Tasmeen Granger steadied the innings with 20 before she too was run out, at 62 for three in the 12th over.

Chiedza Dhururu played the best innings, scoring 30 off 32 balls, but she was never able to find a fluent and reliable partner, and at no stage of their innings were Tuskers Women able to score at a run a ball.

The later batters were unable to get going and two wickets went down in the final over to leave the total at 101 for six wickets.

Francisca Chipare was the best of the bowlers, taking two for 20 in her four overs.

With Mugeri-Tiripano in fine form, this comparatively small target was never likely to trouble Mountaineers Women.

They lost only one wicket, that of Loryn Phiri, who was out for 11 with the score at 55 after 10 overs.

The Mountaineers Women captain, Pellagia Mujaji, then joined Mugeri-Tiripano, and they took their team to victory without further loss.

Mujaji scored 11 not out, being willing to support Mugeri-Tiripano, who took her score to 58 not out off 57 balls and the Mountaineers Women score to 102 for one wicket, with four overs and a ball to spare.

Lindokuhle Mabhero was the only bowler to take a wicket, and with figures of one for 19 in her four overs she was also the most economical.

Mountaineers Women now head the tournament table as the only team to win both their matches, while Tuskers Women now have two defeats to ponder.

 

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Rhinos Women – 126-2 in 20 overs (Mary-Anne Musonda 55*, Josephine Nkomo 36*, Kelly Ndiraya 15; Kellies Ndlovu 1/11, Easther Mbofana 1/24)

Alliance Health Eagles Women – 124-6 in 20 overs (Modester Mupachikwa 47, Kellies Ndlovu 38, Beloved Biza 18*; Ashley Ndiraya 2/15, Mary-Anne Musonda 2/19, Diveniah Ndhlalambi 1/17)

 

Rhinos Women won by two runs

   

An excellent all-round match for Mary-Anne Musonda was the main feature in Rhinos Women’ narrow two-run victory over Alliance Health Eagles Women in their Women’s T20 Cup clash at Harare Sports Club on Friday.

Musonda scored a fine fifty, which she followed up with two vital wickets which rocked the Eagles Women innings when they appeared well placed to win.

Rhinos Women, put in to bat, suffered a bad start as Ashley Ndiraya was caught at the wicket off Esther Mbofana without scoring from the fourth ball of the innings.

Her sister Kelly again struggled to score quickly, making 15 off 34 balls before Kellies Ndlovu bowled her with the total at 60 in the 13th over.

Musonda had scored most of the runs at this point, and when she was now joined by Josephine Nkomo the pair batted brilliantly together, and in the remaining overs more than doubled the score without being dismissed.

At the end of their 20 overs Rhinos Women had reached 126 for only two wickets, with Musonda on 55, scored off 54 balls and including eight fours, and Nkomo with 36 off 28 balls, with a six and three fours.

Mbofana and Ndlovu shared the only two wickets to fall in the innings.

Eagles Women quickly lost Mitchell Mavunga for one in the second over when they batted, but there followed a fine partnership of 63 for the second wicket between Modester Mupachikwa, the captain, and Ndlovu.

When Ndlovu, who dominated the stand with 38 off 37 balls, was out with the score at 67, three more wickets fell cheaply, and with three overs left 30 runs were needed.

Mupachikwa hit out gallantly with Beloved Biza, but the decisive blow came in the 19th over, when Mupachikwa was bowled by Musonda for 47, scored off 45 balls with four fours, with the score on 109.

This left 16 to win off the final over, bowled by Nkomo, and the Eagles Women’s hopes were raised when the first ball went for four byes, and Biza hit two fours off the following two deliveries.

This left four runs needed off the last three deliveries, but Nkomo kept her nerve – Biza scored a single off the next ball, but Adelle Zimunhu was unable to score off the final two, which gave victory to Rhinos Women.

Biza scored 18 not out off 11 balls in her gallant attempt, but Eagles Women had been sunk by their middle-order collapse when they had been well placed to win.

Musonda finished with two wickets for 19 runs and Ashley Ndiraya with two for 15.

 

2021/22 WOMEN’S T20 CUP POINTS TABLE

Alliance Health Eagles Women – 258-7 in 50 overs (Christabel Chatonzwa 108*, Kellies Ndlovu 30, Mitchell Mavunga 21; Dana Ndiraya 3/40, Nomatter Mutasa 2/45, Vimbai Kavava 1/35)

Rhinos Women – 91 all out in 36.3 overs (Mary-Anne Musonda 22, Ashley Ndiraya 9, Josephine Nkomo 9; Mitchell Mavunga 4/32, Olinda Chare 3/11, Precious Marange 1/16)

 

Alliance Health Eagles Women won by 167 runs

 

Alliance Health Eagles have been crowned the 2021/22 Fifty50 Challenge champions after Christabel Chatonzwa’s scintillating unbeaten century inspired them to a 167-run victory over Rhinos Women in the final played at Old Hararians Sports Club on Saturday.

 

After Eagles Women won the toss and opted to bat first, Chatonzwa was unperturbed by the loss of her opening partner and captain Modester Mupachikwa for a duck as she went on to carry her willow with aplomb, blasting 14 fours on her way to 108 not out.

 

From one for one in the first over, they recovered well as Chatonzwa and Kellies Ndlovu shared a 74-run partnership for the second wicket which was only broken in the 17th over when Josephine Nkomo had the latter caught behind for 30, with four fours, off 61 balls.

 

In the next over, Vimbai Kavava sent Alice Marongwe back to the pavilion before she could get off the mark, the score now being 80 for three.

 

Precious Marange came in next, faced 30 balls, hit two fours and departed for 13 after two of the four Ndiraya sisters in the Rhinos Women team combined to dismiss her in the 27th over, Dana sending down the delivery and Kelly completing the catch to make the score 123 for four.

 

The brilliant Chatonzwa soon reached her fifty, which came off 68 balls.

 

Forty more runs were added before Eagles Women were down to 173 for five in the 37th over after Adelle Zimunhu was given out lbw to Nomatter Mutasa for 15.

 

Mitchell Mavunga contributed a valuable 21, including one six and one four, off 19 balls before she became Dana Ndiraya’s second victim, another lbw dismissal – 214 for six in the 42nd over.

 

In the 48th over, Chatonzwa brought up her maiden century in style, hitting Nkomo for four to reach the milestone off 109 balls.

 

She and Vimbai Mutungwindu, who scored seven not out, then safely saw out the innings as Eagles Women amassed a competitive 258 for seven in 50 overs.

 

Chatonzwa finished with 108 not out, the only century of the women’s inter-provincial one-day championship this season.

 

Dana Ndiraya was the most successful bowler, grabbing three wickets for 40 runs off nine overs, while Mutasa took two for 45 in 10 overs.

 

Rhinos were soon in big trouble after both of their opening batters perished to Mitchell Mavunga with only 25 on the board by the seventh over, Ashley Ndiraya bowled for nine and Nkomo caught also for nine.

 

Apart from Mary-Anne Musonda who scored a run-a-ball 22, no other batter made it into the double figures as Mavunga and Olinda Chare ran through the Rhinos Women batting order.

 

After 36.3 overs, their innings folded for 91, giving Eagles Women victory by 167 runs.

 

Chare was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets for 11 runs off 10 overs, while Mavunga finished with four for 32 off 8.3 overs.

 

Despite ending up on the losing side in the final, Nkomo got some consolation as she was named the Fifty50 Challenge’s best batter as well as player of the tournament.

 

Mavunga walked away with the bowler of the tournament accolade.