Nkomo stars as Zim beat Thais

Eddie Chikamhi-Senior Sports Reporter

JOSEPHINE NKOMO’S polished all-round performance powered the Zimbabwe women’s cricket team to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Thailand in the first one-dayer at Takashinga Sports Club yesterday.

Nkomo played a key role with the ball when the hosts won the toss and restricted the opponents to 199 runs for the loss of four wickets in their allotted 50 overs.

The right-handed batter then teamed up with skipper Mary-Anne Musonda (50) to see the team home with some fine middle order batting, which saw Zimbabwe coast to 200/3.  

Zimbabwe now lead the four-match series 1-0. 

Nkomo top-scored for the home team, with an unbeaten 57, while Musonda was also unbeaten on half century. 

Musonda, who missed Zimbabwe Women’s last series against South Africa’s Emerging Women side, won the toss and made the right call, to put the visitors to bat, first. 

But, the Thais lost opening batter Wongpaka Liengprasert for a duck, in the second over, from Nomvelo Sibanda’s bowling. 

There were more problems to come for the visitors, following the dismissal of Nattaya Boochatham (6). 

Nkomo claimed her first wicket and the Thais were 2/17, in the fifth over.

Tasmeen Granger inflicted a further blow to the visitors, with the wicket of Natthakan Chantham (6). 

The Thais regrouped before Nannapat Koncharoenkai (37) fell to Nkomo, to leave the visitors on 96/4, after 29.4 overs.

An unbeaten 103-run partnership for the fifth wicket, between skipper Naruemol Chaiwai (67) and Chanida Sutthiruang, followed.

Right arm medium-pacer Nkomo was the peak of the Zimbabwean bowlers, with 2/37, while Granger and Sibanda, bagged a wicket each. 

Zimbabwe began their chase with ease. 

Ashley Ndiraya (40) and Christabel Chatonzwa (22) gave the home side a good platform, with a 59-run partnership, for the first wicket. 

The duo batted 13.4 overs before they were separated by Ratanaporn Padunglerd.

Modester Mupachikwa came in and contributed 20 more runs before the onus was left on the duo of Nkomo and Musonda to wrap up the game. 

Musonda, who was sidelined for Zimbabwe Women’s home series against a South Africa Emerging Women side in May after undergoing surgery on a knee injury, needed 68 balls, for her 50 runs.

Nkomo faced 74 balls and hit six boundaries, for her undefeated half ton, as Zimbabwe reached home with exactly five overs to spare.

 Both teams are using the series as part of their preparations for ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournaments. 

The two sides will meet in the other three one-dayers scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday and Tuesday at the same venue. 

They will then face off in the T20Is set for August 27, 29 and 30.