Zimbabwe U19 Women reach final

Zimbabwe Under-19 Women have booked their place in the final of the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier after defeating Uganda by 20 runs in a tense semi-final in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The young Chevrons posted 104 for nine from their 20 overs before producing another disciplined bowling display to restrict Uganda to 84 for nine, completing their fourth consecutive victory in the tournament.

Zimbabwe entered the semi-final with a perfect group-stage record after beating Rwanda by 51 runs, Kenya by 79 runs and Namibia by five wickets. Their clash with Uganda was expected to be a tougher test, and the young Chevrons had to work hard for their place in the final.

Batting first, Zimbabwe struggled to score freely but managed to reach 104 for nine at the end of their 20 overs. Captain Lorraine Pemhiwa top-scored with 28 from 30 balls, hitting four fours in a valuable contribution.

Tadiwanashe Garutsa added 22 from 22 deliveries, also striking four boundaries. Their efforts helped Zimbabwe reach a total that gave their bowlers something to defend.

Uganda’s chase never gained the momentum required to threaten Zimbabwe’s position. Jimia Abdallah Muhamed was their top scorer with 24 from 33 balls, while Tino Sarah remained unbeaten on 17.

Zimbabwe’s bowlers kept taking wickets and prevented Uganda from establishing the partnerships needed to chase the target. Uganda eventually finished on 84 for nine from their 20 overs.

Vanessa Mayedza was the standout performer with the ball, taking three wickets for only 13 runs from her four overs. Christina Mutasa also played a major role, claiming two wickets for 12 runs.

Mayedza’s impressive figures earned her the Player of the Match award as Zimbabwe secured a 20-run victory.

The win sends Zimbabwe into the final, where they will face Nigeria for the tournament’s sole African qualification place at the 2027 ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.

It is a significant opportunity for Zimbabwe’s emerging women’s cricketers, who are now one victory away from reaching the global tournament.

The young Chevrons have been impressive throughout the competition. They opened their campaign with a 51-run victory over Rwanda before producing an even bigger 79-run win against Kenya.

They then completed the group stage with a five-wicket victory over Namibia, finishing the opening stage with three wins from three matches.

The semi-final victory over Uganda has extended that perfect run to four matches and taken Zimbabwe into the final with their World Cup dream still alive.

Nigeria will now provide the final challenge. The two sides will meet with much more than the qualifier trophy at stake, as the winner will secure Africa’s sole ticket to the 2027 ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh and Nepal.

Uganda, meanwhile, will face Rwanda in the third-place play-off.

For Zimbabwe, attention now turns completely to the final. The young Chevrons have already overcome four opponents on their journey and will need one more strong performance to complete the job.

The semi-final showed that Zimbabwe can win even when their batting total is not particularly high. Their bowlers once again stepped up, defending 104 with disciplined spells and regular wickets.

Mayedza’s performance was particularly important, while Mutasa also made a major contribution with the ball.

With the final now secured, Zimbabwe are one match away from turning their unbeaten qualifying campaign into a World Cup qualification success.

Four wins have brought them to the final.

One more could take them to the 2027 ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.

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