Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
THE Gems concluded their warm up matches programme in a tightly contested 55-54 defeat to Wales in Cape Town, South Africa.
Initially, they had been scheduled to take part in two warm-up matches with the other one being against Scotland but the latter was scrapped as it clashed with other tournament programmes.
Zimbabwe played three warm up matches including the one yesterday.
They lost 64-34 to England before winning 67-34 against Barbados.
Focus now turns to their opening game against Australia tomorrow.
Australia are coming in as one of the tournament favourites and as such Zimbabwe has to be at their best to win.
The Australian ‘Diamonds’ lost the last World Cup final to New Zealand and despite winning the Commonwealth Games title two years ago, that loss four years ago still hurts and they are keen to make amends.
In January this year the Diamonds went to Cape Town for a Quadrangular tournament involving South Africa, New Zealand and England and they won every game.
The Zimbabwe Gems will be led by captain Felistus Kwangwa, a defender who walked away from the 2019 Netball World Cup with three Player of the Match performances.
Australia’s attackers will be kept on their toes by Kwangwa and fellow defender Sharleen Makusha.
Australia’s defensive unit will have the challenge of stopping prolific shooter Joice Takaidza who plays her club netball in Australia.
Ranked 13 in the world, Zimbabwe were drawn in Pool A with the world’s number one side Australia, Fiji ranked 19 and Tonga, who are ranked seventh.
The global competition which will feature 16 countries, will be played between July 28 and August 6 and for the first time in history, the tournament takes place on African soil.
Going into this tournament, the Gems will want to improve on their eighth place finish in their maiden 2019 World Cup appearance in Liverpool, United Kingdom.
The team has been in camp for more than a month and have been playing friendlies with men’s teams to increase fitness levels.
-@innocentskizoe
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter