Chronicle Editor
Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter
FOR generations, cricket has always been considered a game reserved for men only and not fit for women.
However, in 2006 a group of young women defied the odds, took to the field and became the first group to represent Zimbabwe on the international stage. Among the group of pioneers was a young woman from Njube suburb in Bulawayo.
Thandolwenkosi Mlilo’s journey to defying the odds started way back in high school with her friends who turned teammates as they wanted to be different from others.
“Our cricket journey started when we were at Mpopoma High School in the year 2000. Zimbabwe Cricket would send buses to schools to collect students to watch cricket so we just decided to get in the bus to watch the game, I think South Africa had toured Zimbabwe and that’s where it all began, we wanted to be different,” Mlilo told Saturday Chronicle.
For Mlilo, the journey to the top of women’s cricket in Zimbabwe was never easy as she faced multiple challenges, from playing equipment to transport fares to attend training. Mlilo began her career by playing for Westerns before she moved over to Queens Sports Club.
“Coming from a high-density suburb, the parents did not see sport as something that one can take up as a career so we used to have challenges with the parents against us playing cricket. Sport was not that recognised, worse it was cricket and there wasn’t women’s cricket in Zimbabwe, we were the first ones to start playing cricket and so the issue of transport was one of the challenges that I faced during my early days of playing.
“The kit was a nightmare, my parents could not afford to buy me a kit so it was kind of a challenge but then the journey continued,” she said.
Playing for Queens at the time, Mlilo was selected to the first-ever women’s national team that participated at the inaugural Africa Regional Qualifiers in Kenya and after making history, support grew from her parents.
Playing as an all-rounder, Mlilo scored 46 runs in just her second international outing against Kenya as Zimbabwe’s clean sweep earned them a spot at the World Cup Qualifiers in 2008. She was included in the African XI for the Afro-Asia Twenty20 Cup in 2007, taking 2-20 in her four-over spell, and was named Zimbabwe’s female cricketer of the year for the 2008-09 season.
“I am happy that I was part of the first women’s national team in Zimbabwe, to be a player representing your country, you know you would be carrying all the population on your shoulders, and going there to represent them was a good experience.
“The first time in Kenya we were treated like underdogs because it was out debut as a team but we managed to win that tournament and I was voted player of the match against Tanzania, batter of the tournament so it was quite a good experience,” she said.
One of the lows that she experienced through her playing days was the failure to help the Lady Chevrons qualify for the World Cup.
“It’s one thing that is even haunting me now that during my playing days I failed to do that but then I feel like even if I failed, I have a big positive because we created a base for the girls that are playing now,” she said.
Mlilo is still a part of the game despite not being in the field of play anymore. She is part of the selection panel for the women’s team that was introduced by Zimbabwe Cricket a couple of years ago.
“I am hoping and dreaming and wishing that we see the ladies that are playing now participating in the World Cup,” said.
Apart from being a selector, Mlilo is also an international scorer and has also ventured into commentary. She has been in the commentary box twice in international events, the ICC Under-19 World Cup Qualifiers last year and the Men’s T20 Sub-Regional qualifiers in Rwanda.
In cricket, a scorer is someone appointed to record all runs scored, all wickets taken and, where appropriate, the number of overs bowled. In professional games, in compliance with Law 3 of the Laws of Cricket, two scorers are appointed, most often one provided by each team.
Having lost one of her longtime friends and teammate Sinikiwe Mpofu who was the women’s national team assistant coach in January, Mlilo said she was more than just her friend and her death was a huge loss for the sport. The two played together from High School up to the national team.
“She wasn’t just my teammate, she wasn’t just my schoolmate, she was my friend and her death was a huge loss to the ladies cricket team and Zimbabwe Cricket as a whole and I don’t think we will have her replacement, she was passionate about the game, she loved the sport and a motivational to the girls,” she said.
Mlilo will be part of the scorers for the Zimbabwe, West Indies Test series which begins today at Queens Sports Club. – @brandon_malvin
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