CAPTAIN Mary-Anne Musonda led from the front, scoring an unbeaten century in Zimbabwe’s maiden One Day International (ODI) as the host beat Ireland by four wickets with 6.1 overs to spare to mark the historic day at Harare Sports Club.
Zimbabwe were playing their first ODI after being granted ODI status by the International Cricket Council in April this year. However, the occasion did not overawe the Lady Chevrons as the girls put an all-round display with both bat and ball, announcing themselves in victorious style at the grand stage.
It was Musonda’s day starting at the toss when Ireland captain Laura Delany called incorrectly. Zimbabwe restricted Ireland to 253 for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted overs.
Zimbabwe’s reply did not get off to a great start, with opener Chiedza Dhururu being dismissed in the first over, having hit a crisp straight drive for four runs. She was dismissed the next ball off a full toss that she could have hit anywhere but could only manage to find the hands of wicketkeeper Shauna Kavanagh.
Modester Mupachikwa and Ashley Ndiraya set out to repair the damage and give Zimbabwe the excellent start they required chasing a tricky total.
However, Mupachikwa was run out in an unlucky fashion when Demspsey got her finger to the ball, and it hit the stumps in her follow-through. The Ireland fielders all went up in unison, appealing for a run-out, and umpire Iknow Chabi thought about it before raising the dreaded finger.
Zimbabwe were 25-2 after five overs. With a thin batting lineup lacking the injured Chipo Mugeri, it was left to the skipper Musonda to lead from the front and make the historical day a momentous occasion, and she obliged.
Musonda played the shot of the day, a glorious cover drive for four, and you could tell that the captain was in a nonsense mood. She was at it again in the next over, playing a gorgeous on-drive to mark the end of the power play with a boundary as Zimbabwe closed on 57/2 after 10 overs.
Musonda, who was strong in the V, fittingly got to her 50 with another four that beat the fielder at mid-off, and you could hear the loud cheer from her teammates. With the skipper seeing the cricket ball like a football, the team started believing.
Ireland bowlers did not help their cause with undisciplined bowling as they conceded 38 extras, and Zimbabwe cashed in each time their bowlers strayed in line and length.
Musonda was struggling with her knee injury, which seemed to have flared. The physiotherapist had to be called in on many occasions as the Zimbabwe captain was determined to lead her team to victory.
She shared a third-wicket stand with Ndiraya of 57 runs before Kavanagh caught behind the opening batter off the bowling of Cara Murray for 24 runs from 38 balls.
Once again, the captain dominated the fourth wicket stand with Pelagia Mujaji, with the latter scoring 16 of the 60 runs of that partnership as the two pushed their team towards victory.
Musonda was visibly tired, but she ignored all the niggles and was running every single very hard and even converting some singles into twos. However, a lack of communication between the pair led to the run out of Mujaji.
This brought to the crease the experienced Josephine Nkomo, who has captained the team before in the absence of Musonda. The pair brought Zimbabwe one run short of the 200 mark in the 36th over when Nkomo was given out leg before wicket to a Delany delivery that kept low.
Zimbabwe were not home yet, which brought in the ageless Precious Marange, who hit a quickfire 27 from 23 balls to bring her team closer to victory before she was bowled when she went back into the crease to a delivery by Murray.
Zimbabwe had lost their sixth wicket and still required 26 runs for victory. The most important thing was that Musonda was still at the crease.
Rain briefly stopped Zimbabwe’s victory march in the 42nd over, and Musonda had to go to the changing room on 97, three shots of her maiden ODI century.
Zimbabwe were ahead on the Duckworth Lewis method, but there was the little matter of the skipper getting to a personal landmark.
Not even nature could stop Musonda’s maiden century on debut as she joined other five international players who scored hundreds on their ODI debut.
Musonda hit a lofted off-drive for four to bring her maiden ODI century, and the players in the dressing stood up to salute one of the finest knocks ever seen at Harare Sports Club. With that, Zimbabwe coasted to victory. Nine boundaries accompanied her unbeaten 103.
Earlier in the day, Ireland’s total of 253 was built around Delany, who scored 86 from 81 balls which comprised nine fours before she became Nkomo’s first wicket of the day, caught by Ndiraya.
Many Ireland players got some starts but could not capitalise, with four players falling in the ’20s.
Marange was the pick of Zimbabwe bowlers with two wickets for 48 runs, ably supported by Loreen Tshuma, who gave nothing away in her 10 overs and bagging one wicket for 32 runs.
The next match is on Thursday at Harare Sports Club.
