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Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE’S senior women’s cricket team rounded off their miserable tour of Thailand with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the hosts in the three-match T20I series that ended yesterday at the Terdthai Cricket Ground in Bangkok.
The defeat meant the Lady Chevrons, who were in the Asian country for the past two weeks, returned home empty-handed after they had suffered a series whitewash in the preceding three-match One Day International series.
The Zimbabweans had a chance at least to get some measure of revenge yesterday in the shortest version of the game but they ended up on the receiving end again after succumbing to an eight-wicket loss.
Gary Brent’s side won the toss again yesterday and decided to bat first. Just like the previous day, when they lost to the Thais by five wickets, the Lady Chevrons put up a below par show with the bat.
They managed to put on 111/6 in their 20 overs. The hosts, who were using the series to prepare for the South East Asian Games, found the target easy to chase as they romped home to 112/2 and secured the game with 20 balls to spare.
The Zimbabwe Women’s side yesterday tempered a bit with their batting line up in their quest to get a competitive score.
Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano was brought to open the innings with another experienced player, Sharne Mayers while Kelis Ndhlovu was dropped down the batting order.
But the opening pair managed only 30 runs between themselves as Mugeri-Tiripano, who has been one of Zimbabwe’s reliable batters, was cleaned out for 20 runs.
Ashley Ndiraya (9) followed soon after before Mayers (20) and skipper Mary-Anne Musonda featured in a 40-run stand for the third wicket.
Musonda was the team’s highest scorer with 28 runs from 28 balls. Her knock included two boundaries and a maximum.
But Zimbabwe found themselves on the rocks, with four wickets down and 89 runs on the board, and 16.4 overs played, with both Mayers and Musona now out.
Then Ndhlovu (8) and Modester Mupachikwa (12) also fell and eventually Zimbabwe managed 111 runs, with half dozen wickets gone at the end of their allotted overs.
Thailand reverted to a tried and tested formula to win convincingly as the home side’s spinners bowled superbly to concede only 65 runs in 17 overs with 58 dot balls and then Nattakan Chantam hit 56* from 53 balls with 10 fours.
Onnicha Kamchomphu took 3 for 20 and Thipatcha Putthawong took 1 for 9 in 4 overs to restrict Zimbabwe to 111 for 6.
Thailand were content to make a steady start but Nattaya Boochatham hit 25 from 17 balls before Nattakan Chantham (56 from 53 balls) took over. She hit three fours in the 15th over to bring up her fifty and Thailand reached 112 for 2 in 16.4 overs.
Thailand won by eight wickets with 20 balls to spare and Chantham was named player of the match. The Thais immediately left the country for Cambodia to take part in the South East Asian Games as favourites to win gold.
Online Reporter