Zim Women U-19 off to flying start

ZIMBABWE Cricket Under-19 women’s team yesterday got their International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier to a flying start with an easy 144 runs win over Malawi in Kigali, Rwanda.

The young Lady Chevrons are in Group B of the Qualifier alongside Tanzania, Nigeria and Malawi and have already made a statement of intent with their victory over their Southern African counterparts.

The Trevor Garwe-mentored side dominated with both bat and ball.
Zimbabwe were asked to bat first by Malawi and they went on to score a mammoth 195/2 in their 20 overs courtesy of two half centuries from Kelis Ndhlovu and Beloved Biza.

The duo notched up a century stand for the first wicket. The Zimbabwean bowlers would go on to make light work of their opponents, bowling them out for just 51 runs in 13 overs.

**Zimbabwe Women’s Under-19 cricket team**

The opening partnership of the skipper Ndhlovu and Biza was broken in the 16th over with the score on 142 runs. Biza top scored with a brilliant 86 runs off 57 balls while Ndhlovu remained undefeated on 74 runs from 52 deliveries. Runyararo Pasipanodya scored 15 runs not out while Christina Mutasa was run out on three runs from four balls.

Having done the job with the bat, Biza would go on to dominate with the ball as well, leading Zimbabwe’s bowling charts. The 15-year-old budding star took five wickets while conceding as many runs in just two overs.
With Biza finishing with figures of 5/5, Mutasa took 2/6 in two overs as well while Ndhlovu, Olinda Chare and Pasipanodya all took one scalp apiece. Mercy Kudimba was Malawi’s leading run scorer with 25 runs from 37 balls while their second leading run getter was Evah Kabwere with five runs.

Five Malawian batters fell for ducks.
With Malawi brushed aside, Zimbabwe’s next assignment is against Nigeria at Gahanga International Stadium this afternoon. After the game against Nigeria, they will go on to face Tanzania at the same venue on Wednesday.

The ongoing tournament features eight teams that are all competing for the single ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 ticket.
The eight competing teams are divided into two groups. Group A has Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda and Uganda while Group B features Malawi, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals. The winners will then contest for that single World Cup spot in a final slated for September 29 at Gahanga Cricket Ground.

Fourteen teams are already through to the World Cup, including the 10 full-member teams from the inaugural ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa — Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

Tournament hosts Malaysia, Samoa (winners of the East Asia-Pacific regional qualifier), Scotland (winners of the Europe regional qualifier) and the USA, who received automatic qualification as the only team in the Americas region to meet the criteria are some of the teams that will participate at the tournament.

In November, Kuwait, Nepal, Thailand, and host United Arab Emirates will compete in a double round-robin format for the 16th and final qualification slot. — @brandon_malvin