Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo
Zimpapers Sports Hub
COACH Steve Mangongo says he is happy with the progress despite the Zimbabwe Women High Performance Centre (HPC) falling at the final hurdle of the Kwibuka Women’s T20 Tournament for the second year in a row.
On Saturday they fell to Tanzania by 32 runs at the Gahanga Cricket Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
Despite the loss, Mangongo remained upbeat, praising the tournament as a critical benchmark for the growth and direction of the High Performance Programme.
For the seasoned gaffer, the bigger picture is about development, not just results. “We are on the right path. The business of the High Performance Programme is to identify genuine talent, upskill them and ultimately feed our national team,” said Mangongo.
“In this tournament, we had the perfect opportunity to assess where our programme stands.”
One of the brightest revelations was 18-year-old Passionate Munorwei, whom Mangongo hailed as the fastest bowler in the tourney.
Other standout performers included Christabel Chatonzwa, who finished among the top four run scorers, and Nyasha Gwanzura, who continued her transformation into a destructive opening batter. Loreen Tshuma hit the most sixes in the tournament while Chiedza Dhururu delivered solid partnerships throughout.
“Mitchel Mavunga bowled with good pace and control. These players have sorted their games and are now genuine contenders for national selection. We need that level of competition to elevate our national side,” he added.
Mangongo was also full of praise for skipper Nomvelo Sibanda, who led from the front, especially in the semi-final win over Uganda, where the team executed five run outs under pressure.
“As a Test nation, we must hold ourselves to a standard that demands we win tournaments like this, especially when facing associate teams,” he said.
In the final, Zimbabwe HPC bowled first and appeared to have gained early control, restricting Tanzania to a modest 99/6 in their allotted 20 overs.
But their chase unravelled quickly.
The batting unit crumbled to 67 all out in 19.4 overs, falling short by 32 runs in a performance that lacked the poise and execution required on such a stage. “In the final, we lacked a killer instinct. We didn’t field well and when it came to batting, we failed to play grounded shots and went for risky aerial options too early.
“That cost us. We choked under pressure,” admitted Mangongo.
He reserved special praise for Gwanzura, who played a lone hand in the collapse, scoring an unbeaten 45 off 54 balls. Remarkably, she was the only Zimbabwean batter to reach double figures, a glaring indication of the team’s batting woes on the day.
“Nyasha showed composure and maturity. She was a lone ranger while wickets kept falling around her,” Mangongo noted.
Last year, Zimbabwe also fell at the final hurdle of the Kwibuka Tournament, narrowly losing by two runs to Uganda with their A team.
