Lady Chevrons’ World Cup Qualifiers on the line

ZIMBABWE senior women’s national cricket team’s journey at the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier is taking a turn for the worst as they lost their second match in three games on Monday.

Their latest defeat was against Ireland at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

It was a must win match for the Lady Chevrons, however, they succumbed to a massive 56-runs defeat at the hands of the Irish ladies to put their qualification hopes on the line.

Following the defeat, their qualification chances have seemingly faded with two defeats in three games.

In their opening match of the campaign, they suffered a shocking six wickets defeat at the hands of minnow Vanuatu before going on to register an eight wickets win over the tournament hosts, UAE on Sunday evening.

In order to save their very slim chances of qualification, Zimbabwe should beat the Netherlands and hope that results from other matches go their way.

On Monday, Ireland proved a class above the Lady Chevrons with both bat and ball.
Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to field first and restricted Ireland to 176/3 in 20 overs before they went on to finish their chase on just 120/8.

The win took Ireland to the top of Group B with four points while the Lady Chevrons remain on two points.

In the match’s first innings, Ireland’s openers put up a solid foundation with a century partnership for the first wicket. The duo looked comfortable in the middle, scoring at just over 10-runs an over in the first power play.

Amy Hunter and Gaby Lewis notched up a 130-run opening stand before the former fell for 69 runs off 47 balls. Hunter was to finish as Ireland’s top run getter with an impressive 71 runs off 50 deliveries. The only other wicket that fell was that of Orla Prendergast who was run out on 15 runs off as many balls. Rebecca Stokell finished unbeaten on 15 runs from nine balls.

The wicket takers for the Lady Chevrons were vice captain Josephine Nkomo who had the dangerous Hunter caught behind by wicket keeper Modester Mupachikwa while Kelis Ndhlovu had Lewis caught by Sharne Mayers.

Nkomo finished with figures of 1/36 in her four overs while Ndhlovu had figures of 1/32 in four overs as well.

In their chase, the Lady Chevrons failed to get going with the bat and lost an early wicket of Mayers in the third over for just eight runs off 10 deliveries to leave the team on 14/1.

Another one quickly followed with Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano only managing to score four runs, walking back to the pavilion with Zimbabwe on 20/2 in the fifth over.

Mupachikwa and the skipper, Mary-Anne Musonda managed to stabilise the innings with a half century third wicket partnership. Their partnership was 50 runs in 36 balls.

Mupachikwa would fall for 27 runs off 28 balls.

Musonda would play a gallant captain’s knock of 48 runs from 39 balls and was the only Lady Chevrons batter with a strike rate of more than 100. The only other batter that managed to cross double figures was Audrey Mazvishaya with an unbeaten 11 runs off 13 balls.

Ava Canning, Cara Murray and Laura Delany all took two scalps apiece for Ireland. Eimear Richardson and Arlene Kelly took the other wickets that fell.

Zimbabwe’s last group match is against the Netherlands tomorrow at the Tolerance Oval.

The Lady Chevrons are in Group B of the qualification tournament.

Group A is made up of Uganda, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Thailand and the United States of America (USA).

The top two teams from each group will proceed to the semi-finals with the winners booking their tickets to Bangladesh for the World Cup, joining the likes of New Zealand, Australia, England, India, Pakistan, South Africa, and the West Indies at the global showpiece.

– @brandon_malvin