September 26, 2024
You ain’t seen nothing yet — Sharne Mayers
Lady Chevrons gun for final berth
ZIMBABWE women cricket team opening batter Sharne Mayers said her two half tons in the opening two victories against Mozambique and Tanzania in the on-going ICC Women’s Qualifier Africa 2019 are just highlights of more good things to come.
ZIMBABWE women cricket team opening batter Sharne Mayers (right) during the on-going ICC Women’s Qualifier Africa 2019 match against Tanzania at Takashinga Sports Club in Harare on Monday. Picture by Freedom Mashava
The on-song right-handed batter is enjoying her moment in the sun scoring more runs in either match than the opposing teams.
In the opening match against Mozambique at Old Hararians Sports Club on Sunday, Mayers scored 62 runs in the locals’ 193-run win.
The 26-year-old broke her previous T20 top score the following day against Tanzania at Takashinga Sports Club where she scored 65 runs while Tanzania could only manage 51 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted overs.
“…it means there’s more to come…definitely more to come…I look forward to batting some more and enjoying this vital form I have,” Mayers said of her two half tons in the tournament so far.
“This one was a lot harder than against Mozambique but I had to go out there and apply myself and do it for the team,” she said.
Mayers is making her comeback into the team after missing the Lady Chevrons’ trip to Uganda, a tri series that also featured Kenya.
Zimbabwe managed to account for Kenya once with the other match being abandoned without a ball being bowled owing to rainy conditions.
The locals however, managed to attorney for the two defeats suffered at the hands of Uganda in the last two years beating them twice in the round robin stage before reiterating their dominance by beating them in the final.
“The big focus for me was playing qualifiers and not so much on the Uganda trip. However, I made sure that I adjusted my game,” Mayers added.
“Well it means there’s a lot to come…my first one (half century) was really amazing and obviously you will never forget your first one. I look forward to batting some more.”
On Thursday Zimbabwe thrashed Rwanda at Old Hararians Sports Club to maintain their perfect record. On Saturday the Lady Chevrons will take on Nigeria at the same venue for their last match of the round robin. Lady Chevrons captain Mary-Anne Musonda is not looking too far ahead after seeing the team rest in the last two days. She prefers taking it one game at a time before she can entertain thoughts of how it will play out in the final.
“We just trying to make sure we go through each game as it comes and when we reach the finals it’s going to be a new game. But we are still going to apply ourselves the same way we applied ourselves in the first two games. So we hoping not to be complacent…something that costs us in the final the last time we failed to qualify,” Musonda said.
“I’m happy about the two wins and I’m happy about Sharne Mayers’ brilliant form…I think all the preparations we have done in the past three months are really coming together. We have fewer things to worry about. We have polished our skill and everything and it’s really coming together.” Zimbabwe Cricket named an experienced side for the ICC Women’s Qualifier Africa, with failure not being an option on home soil. Led by captain Mary-Anne Musonda, the squad of 14 was strengthened, by the inclusion of another ex-skipper, Sharne Mayers, who missed Zimbabwe’s tour of Uganda for a triangular series that also included Kenya last month.
Zimbabwe, who have won all of the nine Twenty-20 international matches that they have played this year, went into the ICC Women’s Qualifier Africa 2019 carrying the favourites tag.
They are now just one match away from sealing a place in the final of the on-going ICC Women’s Qualifier Africa 2019. Zimbabwe has rarely put a foot wrong so far with Mayer being the outstanding player for the qualifiers to date. Whoever Zimbabwe’s opponent will be on Sunday as lot could be expected from Mayer if her recent performance is anything to go by. With team work and accolades also comes individual awards. It is an open secret that Mayer who has managed to transform superiority on paper into success on the field will emerge as one of the stand out players of the qualifiers. – By Austin Karonga and Freedom Mashava
