eBusiness Weekly
Chipo Sabeta
The Zimbabwe senior women’s cricket team is expecting nothing short of a title at the Namib Desert Women’s T20 Challenge, which gets under way today in Namibia.
The bilateral series, which runs until Thursday at Sparta Oval in Walvis Bay, was brought about to promote women’s cricket in the region.
This year, the tournament will be exclusively a Women’s International Cricket jamboree for the first time.
The team left the country on Wednesday.
The Zimbabwe girls were last in action way back in May 2018 during the Women’s T20 Challenge held in Harare and the Namib Desert Women’s T20 Challenge is set to provide the much-needed game experience and preparedness ahead of international assignments this year.
Zimbabwe seeks to use the games to bounce back from a disappointing 2018, in which they failed to qualify for the Women’s World T20 Qualifiers, after losing to Uganda.
Coached by Adam Chifo, the team will feature in five-match T20 games from tomorrow with 14 players selected to play against their Namibian counterparts.
Newly appointed captain, Mary-Anne Musonda, who took over from Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, will be leading the side on her first assignment.
The 27-year-old batting all-rounder Musonda, who played her first international as a teenager back in 2006 before taking a break from the game until 2011 to complete her schooling, was confident of victory.
“We have played Namibia before and we are quite a stronger team, but we are not complacent,” said Musonda.
“Definitely we are expecting five wins. We are looking forward to qualifying for the World Cup.
“We have always managed to go through the regionals and our huge hiccup comes at the global qualifiers.”
Chipo Tiripano, who has been captain since 2013, remains in the squad of 21 players.
The team has been camping in Harare since December 10 last year in preparation for the tour.
The final squad of 14 was announced this week.
Zimbabwean ladies will count on the experience of right hand batter and off-spinner Sharne Mayers, former skipper Tiripano, Ashley Ndiraya, Anesu Mushangwe and Precious Marange.
Zimbabwe made its international debut in 2006 at the ICC Africa regional qualifier for the Women’s Cricket World Cup and will be seeking to qualify this year.
Zimbabwe Women’s Squad
Mary-Anne Musonda (Captain), Chipo Tiripano, Ashley Ndiraya, Anesu Mushangwe, Sharne Mayers, Nomvelo Sibanda, Josephine Nkomo, Precious Marange, Modester Mupachikwa, Chiedza Mzembe, Loreen Phiri, Christabel Chatonzwa, Ellen Tshuma, Nomatter Mutasa.
Coach: Adam Chifo
Assistant coach: Sinikiwe Mpofu
Team manager: Samkelisiwe Nkiwane.
