Ndiraya stars as Rhinos thrash Mountaineers in Fifty50 opener

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Mountaineers Women – 130 all out in 38.5 overs (Nyasha Gwanzura 34, Francisca Chipare 24*, Audrey Mazvishaya 14; Ashley Ndiraya 3/6, Nomatter Mutasa 2/20, Josephine Nkomo 1/10)

Rhinos Women – 131-0 in 18 overs (Ashley Ndiraya 87*, Josephine Nkomo 26*)

 

Rhinos Women won by 10 wickets

 

Ashley Ndiraya and Josephine Nkomo notched up an unbeaten opening stand as last season’s runners-up Rhinos Women started off their 2021/22 Fifty50 Challenge campaign with a bang by handing defending champions Mountaineers a 10-wicket thrashing at Sunrise Sports Club on Saturday.

 

Chasing 131 for victory, the pair hardly broke a sweat as they cantered to the target in 18 overs.

 

Ashley was particularly in a belligerent mood as she belted 15 boundaries on her way to 87 not out off 66 balls, while Nkomo’s unbeaten 26 contained two fours and came off 44 deliveries.

 

Rhinos Women had won the toss and asked their opponents to bat first on an overcast morning.

 

Loryn Phiri and Evelyn Chisingarambwi opened the batting for Mountaineers Women and the pair put on 23 runs in 7.5 overs before Phiri was caught by Ashley off the bowling of Kay – a combination of two of the four Ndiraya sisters in the Rhinos Women team, the others being Kelly and Dana.

 

She had scored 13, with two fours, off 28 balls before departing.

 

The captain, Pellagia Mujaji, came in but was soon heading back to the changeroom, having hit only a four off the second of the three balls she faced, leaving her side in a spot of bother at 27 for two in the ninth over.

 

Chisingarambwi found scoring difficult and in her nearly one-hour stay she could only make three runs off 36 deliveries before she was out lbw to Nkomo, the total now being 35 for three in the 15th over.

 

After Vimbai Kavava had Precious Dzvifu caught by Mary-Anne Musonda for six, Mountaineers Women went on to enjoy a recovery of some sort in the middle order as Audrey Mazvishaya and Nyasha Gwanzura mustered a 30-run stand for the fifth wicket.

 

However, at 82 in the 27th over, the partnership was broken when Mazvishaya fell for a 39-ball 14, including one four, with Diveniah Ndhlalambi being the bowler and Musonda completing her second catch of the match.

 

Francisca Chipare came in to join Gwanzura and the two lifted the total to 114 before they were parted, as the latter became the sixth wicket to fall after she was caught and bowled by Ashley, in the 33rd over, having top-scored with 34, with five fours, off 38 deliveries.

 

Next ball, Ashley struck again, the new batter Catherine Chitombo out lbw without getting off the mark.

 

The tail was quickly wiped out, leaving Chipare stranded on 24 not out, as the Mountaineers Women innings folded for 130 in 38.5 overs.

 

Ashley took three wickets for six runs off her three overs, while Mutasa bagged two for 20 off seven overs.

 

Ashley then completed her player-of-the-match performance with 87 not out as she and Nkomo, who made 26 not out, put on an unbeaten 131-run opening stand to give Rhinos Women a 10-wicket victory and a great start to their campaign in the women’s inter-provincial one-day competition.

 

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Alliance Health Eagles Women – 145 all out in 43 overs (Precious Marange 48*, Christabel Chatonzwa 28, Alice Marongwe 18; Thuba Saidi 2/17, Loreen Tshuma 2/22, Tasmeen Granger 1/15)

Tuskers Women – 119 all out 43.4 overs (Nomvelo Sibanda 28, Natasha Mthomba 17, Tasmeen Granger 15; Olinda Chare 4/21, Kellies Ndlovu 2/16, Mitchell Mavunga 2/24)

 

Alliance Health Eagles Women won by 26 runs

 

Alliance Health Eagles Women defeated Tuskers Women by 26 runs in their Fifty50 Challenge match played at Sunrise Sports Club on Saturday.

 

After being put in to bat first, Eagles Women enjoyed a steady start to their innings with Christabel Chatonzwa and Alice Marongwe combining to make 51 runs for the first wicket.

 

The pair was separated in the 14th over, Chatonzwa out lbw to Loreen Tshuma having scored 28, with four fours, off 37 balls.

 

Two overs later and with only two more runs added to the total, Kellies Ndlovu departed without scoring, again trapped lbw by Tshuma.

 

In the very next over, Eagles Women were reeling at 54 for three after Marongwe was bowled by Tasmeen Granger for 18, with two fours, off 59 balls.

 

The experienced Precious Marange then took charge, receiving some good support from Beloved Biza to take the total to 91 before the latter, the fourth wicket to fall, was run out for eight in the 26th over.

 

While the wickets continued falling like confetti at a wedding at one end, at the other Marange remained unperturbed, blasting two sixes and two fours on her way to 48 not out before she ran out of partners.

 

Eagles Women were all out for 145 in exactly 43 overs.

 

That total included 34 extras, meaning Marange alone had contributed 43.2 percent of her team’s runs that actually came off the bat.

 

Tshuma and Thuba Saidi each claimed two wickets, while there was also one apiece for Granger and Danielle Meikle.

 

In response, Tuskers Women had four of their batters reaching double figures, the best effort being that of the captain Nomvelo Sibanda with 28, including one four, off 52 deliveries.

 

The other three notable batters were Natasha Mthomba with 17, Granger with 15 and Lindokuhle Mabhero with 12.

 

But their efforts were simply not enough as Tuskers Women were sent packing for 119 in 43.4 overs, a total that included 31 extras.

 

Fifteen-year-old Olinda Chare tore through their batting order to finish with four wickets for 21 runs off her eight overs, while there were two wickets each for Ndlovu and Mitchell Mavunga, as Eagles Women sealed a 26-run victory.