Online Reporter
Brandon Moyo, Zimpapers Sports Hub
FOR the second consecutive year, heartbreak followed Zimbabwe Women High Performance Centre (HPC) at the final hurdle of the Kwibuka Women’s T20 Tournament, this time falling to Tanzania by 32 runs in Saturday’s final at Gahanga Cricket Stadium in Kigali, Rwanda.
Despite the painful loss, head coach Steve 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 tournament. 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,” said Mangongo.
He 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. However, Mangongo didn’t shy away from acknowledging the disappointment of falling short in the final yet again.
“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 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.
Looking ahead, the coach emphasised the importance of building a winning culture, a habit that must be nurtured through experience in pressure situations.
“We must improve our game awareness. Winning is an acquired skill and the processes, like batting deeper, rotating strike and creating pressure in the field, are only learned through competitive match play,” he said.
Last year, Zimbabwe also fell at the final hurdle of the Kwibuka Tournament, narrowly losing by two runs to Uganda with their A team. This year’s defeat, while bitter, has further highlighted the potential emerging from the HPC pipeline and the need to transform talent into results.
As the women’s game continues to grow, these painful lessons may yet serve as fuel for a brighter future. — @brandon_malvin
