Zimbabwe Women vs South Africa Women | T20I Series| First T20I | 11 September 2026

Bat first 😂 this will be done in 15 overs, the whole match.

ZC have knocked it out the park with the pitchvision to be fair:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OFRpWQxt-rU&pp=uAQw&ra=m

Where is “admin” at to say how Nini is bowling well? 😂😂

33/4 after the power play, it could have been much worse 😂

Quoted from Pat_Bee in post #46600

Zero Rhodie players and a 43 year old in the squad 😂 ZC is flying under the radar with this.

Has Zimbabwe ever fielded a white player in the senior women's team?

I remember a certain Meikle in the U19 team a few years back, but can't think of any others.

Not surprised to Precious Marange in the squad. This is Zimbabwe hey. She still has a good 7 years left in her 😂

Quoted from Pat_Bee in post #46603

Where is “admin” at to say how Nini is bowling well? 😂😂

😂 I prefer Ayabonga Khaka. I can't say her surname out loud without giggling like a 5 year old who's discovering swear words for the first time.

Quoted from admin in post #46605

Quoted from Pat_Bee in post #46600

Zero Rhodie players and a 43 year old in the squad 😂 ZC is flying under the radar with this.

Has Zimbabwe ever fielded a white player in the senior women's team?

I remember a certain Meikle in the U19 team a few years back, but can't think of any others.

Not surprised to Precious Marange in the squad. This is Zimbabwe hey. She still has a good 7 years left in her 😂

I’m not sure, not while I’ve been watching anyway 😂

Dion Ibrahim’s wife is in the mix. It’s a Naqvi kind of deal though, playing A games while waiting for paperwork.

I think Meikle is overseas at university at the moment.

Marange has plenty of years left in her as a spinner 😂😂

Mupachikwa is cooking 😂 run a ball player but more often than not bats a long time so it’s acceptable.

Quoted from admin in post #46606

Quoted from Pat_Bee in post #46603

Where is “admin” at to say how Nini is bowling well? 😂😂

😂 I prefer Ayabonga Khaka. I can't say her surname out loud without giggling like a 5 year old who's discovering swear words for the first time.

😂😂

You’d take 116 all out in the last over from where they were at 😂

115

Spin in the powerplay and the big wicket of wolvaardt 😂😂

I didn't really catch any of the action, but judging by the the scorecard, not a bad outing for the ladies.

I have to be honest, I have never really bothered following women's cricket. I remember watching the Zimbabwe Women's team getting annihilated by Churchill U15 boys some time in 2011. That tainted my view of the women's game, but I am willing to give it a go.

Pat, you are the resident expert on the ladies' game, who's the Blessing Muzarabani and Brian Bennett of the women's team? I know Anesu Mushangwe is pretty good, but she's not available for the national team.

It was a good recovery from where they were 4 down in the powerplay 😂

I got into it because there was nothing else to watch one day, and actually liked it. The women are less strong than the men obviously so there’s more technique involved than just muscling it round, like how men’s cricket used to be I guess. Same with the bowling. Ismail who played for South Africa was considered quick, bowling mid 70s mph. I think a lot of women bowl the kind of pace where it really swings without trying too much.

Sibanda is probably the Muzarabani of the team. Consistently the most economic bowler and takes wickets. Mayers is probably the Bennett. Played a lot of club cricket in the UK against men, definitely a cut above. Mushangwe is good, probably a big fish in a small pond at the time and went on to bigger things. Ndlovu is the Wez 😂 young, fantastic talent then got into the hair weaves and stuff 😂😂

Like the men’s team there’s several batters who will give you a few overs of spin and they can be a bit spin heavy at times.

There are some shenanigans with selection, it’s ZC right. They rarely have Sibanda and Zimunu in the same XI for whatever reason, but they should 😂 and they went through a phase where very few senior players were playing and the bulk of the side was basically the under 19s side. I get the feeling it’s overall a younger squad than the men, so a player will come good and then disappear to university, like Dion Myers I suppose, but a lot more often. Guys on the old ZCF would post about a man playing for rhinos or whatever and scraping by, the women earn a lot less. It’s definitely no career for them and sensible for them to have something to fall back on. It’s rumoured they pay $50 match fees for t20 and $100 for ODIs 😂😂 ZC neither confirm nor deny this.

ZC are taking it more serious now with age group girls NPL and more structure to the senior domestic scene. They’re included on the FTP, not sure if that cycle has started yet though or not. That’s definitely focussed ZC’s minds.

Interesting. Thanks for the summary, Pat!

The age distribution of this team must be something of a statistical rarity. Five of the ladies are 29 or older, five are 23 or younger, and Tendai Makusha sits almost perfectly in the middle at 26!

Quoted from Pat_Bee in post #46614

There are some shenanigans with selection, it’s ZC right. They rarely have Sibanda and Zimunu in the same XI for whatever reason, but they should 😂

😂😂😂 These issues really are everywhere in Zimbabwe. Sport, politics, business... pick a department.

You would think selection would be relatively straightforward given the lack of murungus in the women's game. Is this one a Shona vs Ndebele thing?

Quoted from Pat_Bee in post #46614

It’s rumoured they pay $50 match fees for t20 and $100 for ODIs 😂😂 ZC neither confirm nor deny this.

Wouldn't surprise me, to be honest.

Most people will immediately make noise about how unfair that is, but it's ultimately simple economics. As a standalone product, the women's game simply doesn't generate enough commercial interest yet to be financially self-sustaining.

Maybe that changes if they become good enough to regularly beat top opposition. Success creates interest, interest creates audiences, and audiences eventually create money.

Although, given what happened with our netball team a few years ago, once the money starts rolling in it will probably only be a matter of time before ZC appoints a Deputy Assistant Director of Women's High Performance Stakeholder Coordination and Special Projects and several other administrative positions 😂

This reminds me of the Ghost House saga in rugby.

Quoted from Pat_Bee in post #46614

ZC are taking it more serious now with age group girls NPL and more structure to the senior domestic scene.

Credit where it's due, Mukuhlani and co have done really well here. I really hope they keep pushing the women's game because there clearly seems to be something worth building.

Quoted from Pat_Bee in post #46614

Ndlovu is the Wez 😂 young, fantastic talent then got into the hair weaves and stuff 😂😂

😂😂😂 Careful there buddy. I’ve learnt to stay well away from the wigs and weaves conversation. These ladies will eat you alive for that.

I am definitely going to pay a bit more attention to the women's game now. There are some genuinely interesting young players coming through, and it looks increasingly like something worth investing in.

Hopefully, discussions around the women's game will get more attention on the forum.

Quoted from admin in post #46625

You would think selection would be relatively straightforward given the lack of murungus in the women's game. Is this one a Shona vs Ndebele thing?

Possibly, sibanda is Ndebele, not sure about anybody else. It is a mystery though. Zimunu was unplayable and not getting games. If she was in the squad you’d expect her to be fit.

It’s probably the same Harare centric vibe as the men. They were playing out of sunrise club for a while but recently started playing at HSC and queens.

Takaz women seem more likeable than the takaz men 😂 they probably give the women equal coverage as the men when they have matches. Definitely got the marketing side down. Sogo don’t have a women’s side but do have age group girls sides. Don’t really know much about them though, I find it a bit weird watching age group cricket, they’re young enough to be my kids!

One thing I forgot in my summary was the captains 😂 they probably don’t in reality, but it feels like they change it up every series 😂😂