Series: Capricorn Tri-Series Apr 2022
Venue: CCD Field, Windhoek
Format: T20I
Toss: Zimbabwe
Result: Namibia by 7 wickets
Hosts Make History in Opening Encounter
With 130 on the board one might have thought Zimbabwe would coast home but the host nation decided to make a little history. This is the first time Namibia has defeated a Full Member nation and they did it by 7 wickets.
Mary-Anne Musonda won the toss for Zimbabwe at the CCD Field and chose to bat first. The wicket played true, if somewhat flat and the batters found no difficulty with the Namibian attack.
The left-handed Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano (80) particularly enjoyed the conditions and hit ten boundaries and two sixes in her entertaining knock in just 59 deliveries. Around her, cameo performances, and if any criticism could be laid it was that the other batters struggled to hit singles to feed the strike to Chipo. Nonetheless, a score of 130/3 was about par for this track. Seemingly.
Just as for Zimbabwe, Namibia’s batters thrived on this wicket and there simply wasn’t anything particularly troubling from the bowlers. Jurriene Diergaardt (62*) was in sparking form in an innings that included three sixes.
It took a stunning yorker from Michelle Mavunga to remove Sune Wittmann (10) but that merely brought Yasmeen Khan to the crease and aggressive keeper left no doubts as she made 36 runs from 34 deliveries. She was the second of Mavunga’s victims, but by then the score was 85/2 in the 14th over and the impossible started to look possible.
A little cameo of 13 from Wilka Mwatile before Kayleen Green joined Diergaardt to be there at the end when Namibia reached the target with two balls to spare. Both players have been an important part of the Namibian team for so long it was fitting that they be there on this historic occasion.
Diergaardt, for her part, was named Player of the Match and Namibia straight to the top of the table with two points.
Scores:
Zimbabwe 130/3 (Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 80, Sune Wittmann 1-19) 20 overs
Namibia 131/3 (Jurriene Diergaardt 62*, Yasmeen Khan 36, Michelle Mavunga 2-38) 19.4 overs
Player of the Match: Jurriene Diergaardt