Musonda breaks into world’s top 50

LADY Chevrons captain Mary-Anne Musonda has broken into the top 50 of the ICC Women’s batting rankings while her teammate Kelis Ndlovu was one of the biggest movers on the batting rankings as Zimbabwe’s female cricketers continue their rise on the global stage.

Musonda, who has played a leading role for the Lady Chevrons in the ongoing T20 series against Ireland, moved up four placed to 47th, becoming the fourth Zimbabwean in the top 50 after Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano (43rd), Modester Mupachikwa (40th) and Sharne Mayers (28th).
Ndhlovu, on her part, moved up 20 places on the T20 batting rankings to 59th, while Josephine Nkomo (79th) is the other Zimbabwean batter in the ICC Women’s Top 100.
Australia’s Beth Mooney leads the T20 batting rankings ahead of Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Smriti Mandhana (India), Hayley Matthews (West Indies) and another South African Tazmin Brits who complete the top five in that order.
In the women’s T20 bowling rankings, Precious Marange, who occupies 28th position, remains Zimbabwe’s top ranked bowler, with the next best being the duo of Nomvelo Sibanda  and Kelis Ndhlovu who are in 60th and 61st positions respectively.
Loreen Tshuma (71st), Josephine Nkomo (79th) and Audrey Mazvishaya (92nd) are the other Zimbabwean bowlers in the top 100 of the ICC Women’s T20 rankings.
England’s Sophie Ecclestone remains the number one T20 bowler in the world ahead of the quartet of Deepti Sharma (India), Sadia Iqbal (Pakistan), Sarah Glenn (England) and Nonkululeko Mlaba (South Africa), who complete the top five.
Meanwhile, four Zimbabweans are ranked among the world’s top 100 women ODI batters, namely Mayers (65th), Ashley Ndiraya (67th), Nkomo (86th) and Musonda (90th).
The country also has five players ranked among the ICC’s top 100 female bowlers, namely Ndhlovu (64th), Marange (70th), Nkomo (79th), Tshuma (81st) and Sibanda (88th).