Tuskers Women – 56 all out in 19.1 overs (Tasmeen Granger 19, Regai Matongo 12, Anita Chisirimunhu 5; Rumbidzai Nire 3/7, Audrey Mazvishaya 2/13, Greatness Mutasa 2/13). Mountaineers Women – 57-3 in 14.0 overs (Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 15, Loryn Phiri 14, Rumbidzai Nire 11*; Philanthropic Songo 1/2, Tasmeen Granger 1/8, Nomvelo Sibanda 1/9). Mountaineers Women won by seven wickets

Mountaineers Women pulled off a seven-wicket victory over Tuskers Women at Mutare Sports Club to keep themselves in the running for a place in the Women’s T20 Cup final. The Eastern Highlanders knew nothing short of win would keep them in the reckoning for a final against Eagles Women on 4 February in Harare.

Having bowled Tuskers out for a moderate total of 56 in 19.1 overs, Mountaineers had a 36-run opening partnership between Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano and Loryn Phiri from which to build.

Mugeri-Tiripano was the first to fall for 15 having found the boundary twice –Tuskers captain Nomvelo Sibanda’s delivery crashed into the bails to remove the former Zimbabwe national team skipper. Mountaineers captain Pellagia Mujaji did not stick around for long as she departed three balls later for one, Tasmeen Granger claiming the wicket.

When Phiri also had to go in the next over for 14, caught and bowled by Philanthropic Songo, there may have been some slight trepidation that a collapse of sorts was on the cards in the Mountaineers ranks. Rumbidzai Nire however made sure that was not the case.

Together with Nyasha Gwanzura, who scored an unbeaten five, their stand contributed the final 18 runs needed to win the match. Nire saw out the innings with 11. Mountaineers got to 57 for the loss of three wickets in 14 overs. Granger took one wicket for eight runs, while Sibanda also had one for nine. Songo claimed the other wicket conceding two runs.

Earlier, Nire was devastating as she took three wickets in four overs leaking only seven runs. Audrey Mazvishaya was also impressive, her two wickets coming at cost of 12 runs in 3.1 overs. Greatness Mutasa returned the same figures but from her full complement of four overs Granger top-scored for Tuskers with 19.

Her partnerships of 15 with Regai Matongo, who made 12, and 12 with Dineo Ncube helped an innings that was always struggling along.
A late flourish of 11 runs for the ninth wicket between Anita Chisirimunhu (5) and Lindakuhle Mabhero (4) gave Tuskers hope of something at which to bowl.

In the end, it means that Tuskers now need to beat Rhinos on the final day and hope Eagles defeat Mountaineers to claim a spot in the final of the inaugural Women’s T20 Cup.

Tuskers’ Sibanda bemoaned their batting, saying: “I think our batting wasn’t on point. We didn’t have any foundation and we lost wickets in clusters, which put pressure on the batters.”

For Mountaineers, Mujaji applauded her for team turning around their fortunes in the competition. “It’s a good comeback, because (in) the first round we lost all the games. So today’s win and last week’s win gave us a good chance to play in the final.”

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Eagles Women – 101-5 in 20 overs (Modester Mupachikwa 56, Kellies Ndlovu 26, Christabel Chatonzwa 8; Josephine Nkomo 2/13, Nomatter Mutasa 2/15, Ashley Ndiraya 1/27). Rhinos Women – 102-2 in 17 overs (Mary-Anne Musonda 42*, Ashley Ndiraya 40*, Nomatter Mutasa 8; Precious Marange 2/22). Rhinos Women won by eight wickets

An unbeaten 77-run partnership between Mary-Anne Musonda and Ashley Ndiraya helped Rhinos Women to an eight-wicket win over log leaders Eagles Women in a Women’s T20 Cup match played at Takashinga Sports Club on Friday.

The pair’s efforts ensured Rhinos chased down a target of 102 in 17 overs to set up an exciting final day of round-robin matches. Indeed, any one of the chasing pack can clinch a place in the final against Eagles come 4 December 2020.

Ndiraya scored 40 not out off 45 balls, a knock which contained six fours. Musonda was more aggressive, her unbeaten 42 coming off 34 deliveries – he too had six fours to her name. Precious Marange claimed both wickets that fell, returning two at the expense of 22 runs from her full complement for four overs.

She had Bongani Munyanyi caught for two by Leanne Chibunhe while Nomatter Mutasa had to go after being bowled. Eagles had been defending a score of 101 for the loss of five wickets in their 20 overs. Captain Modester Mupachikwa, opening for Eagles, scored her first half-century in this competition.

Her 56 came off 54 balls with eight fours, before she was bowled by her counterpart Jospehine Nkomo. With 3.1 overs still to go when Mupachikwa departed, Eagles will feel they could have scored more than the seven runs added to the final score.

But after Mupachikwa’s second-wicket partnership of 64 with Kellies Ndlovu, who made 26, there was not much else. Nkomo and Nomatter Mutasa took two wickets apiece while Ashley Ndiraya claimed the other one.

After the match, Nkomo said staying with a chance of getting to the final was important for her team. “When you play a tournament, obviously you’re looking forward to winning. So getting the final has been our goal since day one,” she said. “Although we had ups and downs, we are so happy as a team that we still have this chance.”

Mupachikwa ruled out complacency on the part of her side, as Eagles had already qualified for the final going into this match. She said: “I don’t think we relaxed a bit after having already qualified for the final but it was just one or two things that we missed, especially on our batting. We were supposed to put more runs on the board.”

WOMEN’S T20 CUP POINTS TABLE