Northerns Women – 141-3 in 20 overs (Nyasha Gwanzura 39*, Chiedza Dhururu 31*, Ashley Ndiraya 28; Lindokuhle Mabhero 1/16)
Southerns Women – 55-2 in 8.3 overs (Modester Mupachikwa 30, Josephine Nkomo 17*, Kellies Ndlovu 2; Olinda Chare 1/1, Mitchell Mavunga 1/9)
Match tied (Duckworth-Lewis method)
Nyasha Gwanzura played the major innings in the first Women’s Regional T20 match at Old Hararians Sports Club in Harare on Thursday.
It was unfortunate that a burst of rain should have ended the match prematurely, as the Duckworth-Lewis result of a tie showed how closely this game was being fought.
Northerns Women, put in to bat first, soon lost Mary-Anne Musonda, run out for six, but this was followed by a good partnership between Ashley Ndiraya (28 off 35 balls) and Pellagia Mujaji (17 off 17).
Their work was continued by Chiedza Dhururu, who scored 31 off 35 balls, and Gwanzura, who raced to an unbeaten 39 off only 31 balls, including a six and four fours.
This pair put on 66 in less than nine overs for the fourth wicket without being parted, taking the score to 141 for three wickets after 20 overs had been completed.
The only bowler to take a wicket, as there were two run-outs, was Lindokuhle Mabhero, who removed Mujaji lbw.
Precious Marange bowled economically for four overs and conceded only 20 runs.
Southerns Women soon lost Kellies Ndlovu, bowled by Mitchell Mavunga for two, but Modester Mupachikwa and Josephine Nkomo then kept their team in the hunt by taking the score to 55.
At this score Mupachikwa was bowled by Olinda Chare’s third ball for 30 off 32 balls, and at this point rain began to fall, with Nkomo not out with 17 off 16.
It was most unfortunate for Southerns Women, as had Mupachikwa survived that delivery they would have achieved a narrow victory on Duckworth-Lewis.
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Southerns Women – 124-2 in 15 overs (Modester Mupachikwa 60, Josephine Nkomo 47*, Kellies Ndlovu 5; Nomvelo Sibanda 1/20, Mitchell Mavunga 1/23)
Northerns Women – 104-7 in 15 overs (Sharne Mayers 36, Pellagia Mujaji 20, Mary-Anne Musonda 15; Kellies Ndlovu 3/16, Josephine Nkomo 2/13, Precious Marange 1/18)
Southerns Women won by 21 runs (Duckworth-Lewis method)
A superb century partnership between Modester Mupachikwa and Josephine Nkomo paved the way for a 22-run (Duckworth-Lewis) victory for Southerns Women over Northerns Women in the second T20 match between the two at Old Hararians Sports Club on Thursday.
Rain also interfered with this match at the start, so it was reduced to a 15-over contest.
Southerns Women again won the toss, but this time deciding to bat, perhaps in anticipation of the possibility of an adjusted target for the side batting second.
They lost Kellies Ndlovu in the second over, caught off Mitchell Mavunga for five.
However, there followed the brilliant partnership between Mupachikwa and Nkomo, who flogged the hapless bowlers to put on 114 for the second wicket.
They were only parted by the penultimate ball of the innings, when Mupachikwa was caught at the wicket by Chiedza Dhururu off the bowling of Nomvelo Sibanda for 60.
She had faced only 44 balls and hit a six and seven fours.
Nkomo, who is captain of the side, was not out with 47 off 37 balls, having hit a six and five fours.
A leg-bye was taken off the final delivery, which gave Southerns Women the excellent score of 124 for only two wickets.
Northerns Women knew they would have to bat brilliantly themselves if they were to win, and Mary-Anne Musonda and Sharne Mayers went full guns from the start.
The first over of the innings cots 11 runs and the second 14.
Only 14 legitimate deliveries had been bowled for 30 runs when Musonda was run out for 15, which she scored off seven balls.
Ashley Ndiraya soon went for three, so Pellagia Mujaji joined Mayers.
But they were struggling to maintain the run rate when Mayers was caught for 36 off 34 balls at 86 for three in the 12th over.
Mujaji soon followed for 20 off 22 balls, and then Nyasha Gwanzura, the one remaining player who might have carried off victory, went for three, so Northerns Women were now 90 for five in the 13th over.
Dhururu tried her best with nine not out, but more wickets fell so after 15 overs the score was 104 for seven wickets, and Southerns Women had won.
The bowling of Ndlovu played an important part, as she took three top-order wickets in her three overs for 16 runs as a crucial time.
