ZIMBABWE Senior Women’s team set up a semifinal date with Uganda tomorrow after beating Rwanda by 52 runs in the final Group A match in Botswana of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Region Qualifier today.
Team captain Mary-Anne Musonda played a blinder of a knock in her 28-ball 34 runs batting at number three, complimenting efforts by openers Ashley Ndiraya (24) and Chiedza Dhururu (27). They gave the team a solid foundation.
Masterblaster Precious Marange chipped in with an unbeaten 16 runs from 10 balls that included three boundaries, while Josephine Nkomo scored 15 runs as Zimbabwe totalled 142/4 in their allotted overs.
Rwandan off-spinner Sifa Ingabire picked two wickets for 29 runs from four overs, while Alice Ikuzwe and Belyse Murekatete claimed a solitary wicket each.
Zimbabwe used seven bowlers, and it was pace bowler Loreen Tshuma, named player-of-the-match, who shone the brightest with the ball, claiming four wickets for 11 runs in her four overs.
Tshuma rattled through Rwanda’s batting lineup, raking off opener Sarah Uwera, who she clean bowled for 39 runs. She then accounted for Rwanda captain Marie Bimenyima, caught by Tasmeen Granger for seven runs, wicketkeeper batter Flora Irakoze for five, caught behind by Dhururu. Henriette Ishimwe who was caught by Nomvelo Sibanda for a duck.
Sibanda was the first to get a wicket for Zimbabwe when she had opener Gisele Ishimwe caught by Granger for 11 runs in the eighth overs. She ended the match with two wickets for 21 runs in three overs while spinner Lorryn Phiri took one wicket.
Rwanda managed 90/9 in their 20 overs, effectively ending their hopes of qualifying for the semifinals regardless of the result from the afternoon bowl off pitting hosts Botswana against second-place Tanzania, who had a superior run-rate than Rwanda getting into the last round of matches today.
