Lady Chevrons gun for global qualifier

Lady Chevrons are aiming to qualify for the 2021 World Cup to be staged in New Zealand 

THERE’S an aura of hope and self-belief within the Zimbabwe women cricket team – Lady Chevrons, that qualifying for the World Cup to be staged in New Zealand in 2021 remains a possibility.

However, the Lady Chevrons will have to negotiate their way past the Africa Qualifier which Zimbabwe is hosting beginning this Sunday to book a dance in the Global Qualifier, the last qualifying phase for the global showcase.

Two years ago, the team did well to thrash every opponent they faced in the round robin stage only to lose to Uganda’s She Cranes in the final.

It is the honesty of the Lady Chevrons’ skipper Mary-Anne Musonda who in typical true workmen does not blame the tools for the misfortune rather takes full responsibility of the team’s shortcomings.

“…it was a qualifier we were supposed to take but we have really accepted those defeats and we have taken responsibility for them… we have worked towards what can we do to better ourselves so that we don’t get the same results so I think us also hosting is going to help because of the home ground advantage,” Musonda said.

“What we will just try to do is to just think about how best we can pitch our game and make sure that we are always thinking about what’s the highest level we can get as a team… we need to pick ourselves up…play against those teams we given, beat them and then get more competition and that way we are motivated to get to high levels.”

After losing to Uganda in Namibia, the East Africa side came to confront the locals in their own backyard beating them again in the Zimbabwe T20 Challenge Cup by seven runs. But last month, it was the Lady Chevrons’ time to smile as they atoned for the two defeats beating the Lady Cricket Cranes in all the three matches, they played together in the Victoria Tri Series in Uganda. Zimbabwe were crowned champions and made the awards podium wholly theirs with a clean sweep of every accolade that was on offer.

Lady Chevrons bowler Nomatter Mutasa left bowls against Kenya file pic Freedom Mashava 

All-rounder Anesu Mushangwe was named player of the series, wicketkeeper batter Modester Mupachikwa emerged the keeper and batter of the tournament, off-spinner Tasmeen Granger bagged bowler of the tourney while Ashley Ndiraya picked the best fielder gong.

A refreshing feeling according to Musonda.

“We have been working hard on specifics so coming into this tour specifically we were targeting Uganda quite a lot because of our history with them and we were confident that we were in a space where we could win games,” added Musonda.

“I am satisfied beating them 3-0. I think it’s a huge confidence boost for us going into the Qualifier we have somewhere to look on…but I think pressure (to qualify for the next stage) is something we can’t run away from.”

Zimbabwe, who have won all of the nine Twenty-20 international matches that they have played this year, will go into the ICC Women’s Qualifier Africa 2019 carrying the favourites tag.

Their biggest challenge is likely to come from Uganda who toppled Zimbabwe for the first time to win the last regional qualifier tournament in Windhoek, Namibia, in September 2017.

The ICC Women’s Qualifier Africa 2019, a nine-team event, is a Twenty-20 competition that is serving not only as part of the pathway for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup to be held in Australia in 2020, but will also help decide the participants in the next 50-over ICC Women’s World Cup to be staged in New Zealand in 2021.

Zimbabwe are in Group A together with Tanzania, Nigeria, Mozambique and Rwanda, while Uganda, Kenya, Namibia and Sierra Leone make up Group B.

Old Hararians Sports Club and Takashinga Cricket Club are the venues for the group matches, with the final pencilled in for Harare Sports Club.

Zimbabwe squad for the qualifier

Mary-Anne Musonda (captain), Ashley Ndiraya, Chipo Mugeri- Tiripano, Precious Marange, Anesu Mushangwe, Nomvelo Sibanda, Sharne Mayers, Loryn Phiri, Josephine Nkomo, Chiedza Mzembe, Chiedza Dhururu, Nomatter Mutasa, Tasmeen Granger, Modester Mupachikwa