Chronicle Editor
Mehluli Sibanda in Harare
ZIMBABWE says despite having booked their place in the final of the International Cricket Council Women’s Qualifier Africa, they will not hold back when they clash with Nigeria in their last group fixture at Old Hararians Sports Club this morning.
Mary-Anne Musonda, the Lady Chevrons skipper expressed the desire to go all out against Nigeria so as to get a morale booster ahead of tomorrow’s final game against Namibia.
“We are still going to play hard cricket, we have worked on our fitness, physical and mental fitness so we are going to apply ourselves the same way. Once we do that, once we win convincingly on Saturday our energies will be up on Sunday,” Musonda said.
Coached by Adam Chifo, the Zimbabwean women have shown great form in the tournament with three wins in a row. The victories were over Mozambique, Tanzania and Rwanda. Zimbabwe sealed their spot in the final when they saw off Rwanda by 82 runs at OH on Thursday.
Chifo is of the feeling that Zimbabwe booking a place in the final with a game to spare is an indication that the team is on track to achieving its targets. He is not really concerned with how they will play against Nigeria but at the same time is not undermining their opponents.
“We are happy to be in the final with a game in hand which shows that we are heading in the right direction. Obviously we are not worried about the outcome of the Nigeria match but like we have maintained from the beginning, we are not taking anyone lightly,” Chifo said.
The coach wants to use the fixture to give an opportunity to all the players in the squad to showcase their talent.
“We want to give everyone in the squad a chance so we view this match as the best opportunity to do just that. We will give some guys rest and give others a chance so they can justify their selection. We will stick to our game plan regarding all aspects of the game.”
Ashley Ndiraya, Nomvelo Sibanda, Chiedza Dururu and Loryn Phiri are some of the players who have not been given much opportunity so far in the tournament.
On the batting front, Modester Mupachikwa, Sharne Mayers and Chipo Tiripano have been outstanding at the crease. They have been complemented by Tasmeen Granger, Nomatter Mutasa and Anesu Mushangwe who have been superb with ball in hand. These are the players Zimbabwe will look to build around as they prepare to face Namibia in what will be their last hurdle before they make it to the global qualifiers.
— @Mdawini_29
Online Reporter