Don Makanyanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
THE Lady Chevrons might have fallen short of an historic series victory against West Indies but their first home Future Tours Programme (FTP) series has given them key lessons.
They are continuing to adjust to the demands of playing established international sides.
Zimbabwe lost the decisive third ICC Women’s Championship ODI at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday to surrender the three-match series 2-1.
But their campaign was highlighted by a maiden victory over the West Indies in the second match.
The four-wicket victory, which also marked Zimbabwe’s first ICC Women’s Championship win, signalled the progress being made by the Lady Chevrons at the highest level.
Lady Chevrons assistant coach, Norbert Manyande, said the series has provided the players with an important learning experience as they adjust to the higher standards demanded in FTP cricket.
“I think the first thing, obviously, we managed to win our first FTP 50-over match.
“I think from the past results that’s quite an achievement to us and also beating West Indies for the first time and, obviously, competing to win against such a well-ranked team in the latest competitions, I think that’s good,” said Manyande.
Zimbabwe entered the series against a West Indies side with considerably more experience at the international level, but the Lady Chevrons showed in the second ODI that they can compete with established opponents.
The historic victory was built around a disciplined bowling effort, with Nyasha Gwanzura claiming four wickets and Michelle Mavunga taking three before Zimbabwe successfully chased down 140.
Gwanzura was subsequently named Player of the Match.
For Manyande, however, the significance of the series extends beyond the result, with Zimbabwe now having a clearer understanding of the standards required to compete consistently against established nations.
“I think the players obviously need to get used to the high standards of playing in this FTP.
“Obviously, what they are used to and the level of cricket that they start playing now at this level is totally different and we are improving bit by bit,” he said.
The series also offered encouraging individual performances.
Captain Josephine Nkomo produced an important innings in the final match.
Modester Mupachikwa also showed her ability to perform against quality opposition in the opening ODI.
Manyande believes such performances provide a foundation on which Zimbabwe can build as they gain more exposure to top-level cricket.
“It’s obviously something that we cannot just wake up today and have a complete turnaround but we are seeing a lot of positives in the sense that even when we are failing, we are getting a couple of players or even more that are performing.
“For an example, with the captain, Nkomo, batted quite nicely.
“The first game that we also lost, Modester batted very nicely, so we’ve got a lot of positives that we can still ride on even though we have lost today and we also lost the first game,” said Manyande.
The challenge now is to reproduce that level of performance more regularly as they gain experience in the FTP environment.
“The standard that we are playing at this level is a little bit high and what we can improve is obviously raising the bar from each and every one,” he said.
