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MOUNTAINEERS women were crowned the inaugural cricket Fifty50 Challenge champions after they defeated Rhinos by six-wickets in a rain-drenched final at Takashinga Sports Club yesterday.
Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano equalled Josephine Nkomo’s 85 runs as mountaineers coasted to 198/4 in 37.3 overs to win the match via the Duckworth/Lewis method.
The Mutare-based side won the toss and put their opponents to bat first. Rhinos started off slowly and were eventually bowled out for 210 runs after facing 46.3 overs.
Ashley Chipare was the star of the show for Mountaineers with a five-wicket haul. She finished with figures of 5/29. Chipare gave her team the breakthrough in the sixth over when she bowled out Bongani Munyanyi for a single with Rhinos on 16 runs.
Rhinos then lost Ashley Ndiraya (22) to leave the side reeling on 37-2 with exactly 11 overs bowled. The side’s top-scorer Nkomo teamed up with skipper Mary-Anne Musonda (40) for a third wicket partnership that yielded 83 runs.
Nkomo was in good form and she brought up her second fifty of the Women`s Fifty50 Challenge Cup off 75 deliveries.
The partnership was broken when Musonda returned a catch to Mugeri-Tiripano. Rhinos still looked in it at 120/3 after 26 overs.
However, the Kwekwe-based side found the going tough after the fall of Nkomo (85) with 14 overs remaining. Next was Nomatter Mutasa (22) and they could only manage to add 28 runs, with the rest of the tail going out for single digit scores.
Mountaineers responded in strong fashion. The opening pair of Mugeri-Tiripano (85) and Loryn Phiri (43) put up 126 runs to set up a strong foundation for the chase.
It was Mugeri-Tiripano’s third fifty of the Fifty50 Challenge Cup and it came from seven boundaries, off 57 deliveries. Mountaineers however, could not complete their innings because of the rains at Takashinga Sports Club.
They need 13 runs from 75 balls with six wickets in hand. Calculators were brought out and it was confirmed they were the winners of the competition.
The day before, Eagles were crowned the winners of the inaugural Women`s T20 Cup. A sterling 47 not out from 42 balls from Eagles skipper Modester Mupachikwa was enough to take her team over the line and earn herself the Player of the Match in the final against Tuskers.
RESULTS
Yesterday
Women’s Fifty50 Challenge: Rhinos Women 210 all out in 46.3 ov (J Nkomo 85, Musonda 40, N Mutasa 22; Chipare 5/29, Phiri 2/37) lost to Mountaineers Women 198/4 in 37.3 ov (Mugeri-Tiripano 85, L Phiri 43, Gwanzura 15*; Musonda 1/35) by 62 runs (DL method)
Saturday
Women`s T20 Cup Result
Tuskers women 78/6 in 20 ovs (Dhururu 29, Tshuma 14, Granger 12*; Marange 2/6, Chibunhe 1/5) lost to Eagles women 81/2 in 14.1 ovs (Mupachikwa 47*, Mutongawafa 18, Chatonzwa 7*; Sibanda 2/13) by 8 wickets
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