Zimbabwe cricket women Under-21s thrash Kenya

RUMBIDZAI Nhire produced a five-star performance by claiming a five-wicket haul to help Zimbabwe Under-21 women rout Kenya by nine wickets in a warm-up match at Takashinga Sports Club yesterday ahead of the 2016 ICC Africa Women’s World T20 qualifier tournament set to start in Harare on Saturday.

Kenya were put in to bat first and collapsed in spectacular fashion, and were all out for 41 runs in eight overs.

Mary Bele and Margaret Banja top-scored with 13 runs each, while Venesa Adhiambo and Sharon Juma managed two and one run respectively.

Nhire was responsible for most of the carnage to finish with impressive figures of 5-5 in 2.5 overs.

Esther Mbofana grabbed two wickets for three runs in three overs.

The rest of the Kenya batters were run out.

The Zimbabwe Under-21s had little trouble reaching the target, with Precious Marange leading the chase with 22 runs before she was trapped leg before wicket by Sarah Bhakita.

Kenya failed to claim any other wicket as Loreen Tshuma and Mary-Anne Musonda took the home side over the line.

The Under-21 side featured some of players included in the final 14-member senior squad that will represent the senior team in the 2016 ICC Africa Women’s World T20 qualifier tournament.

Apart from Zimbabwe and Kenya, the other participants in the four-team event are Tanzania and Uganda.

The qualifier tournament will be contested on a round-robin basis with matches scheduled for The Country Club and Alexandra Sports Club.

The team that finishes with the most points will win the regional event and proceed to the global qualification tournament for the 2018 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in the West Indies.

Kenya Women: 41 all out in 12.5 overs (Mary Bele 13, Margaret Banja 13; Rumbidzai Nhire 5/5, Esther Mbofana 2/3)

Zimbabwe Under-21 Women – 42 for 1 in 8 overs (Precious Marange 22, Loreen Tshuma 11*; Sarah Bhakita 1/6)

Zimbabwe senior women final squad

Chipo Mugeri — Captain

Precious Marange — Vice-Captain

Pellagia Mujaji

Mary-Anne Musonda

Josephine Nkomo

Loreen Tshuma

Modester Mupachikwa — Wicketkeeper

Nonhlanhla Nyathi

Esther Mbofana