Women’s T20 Cup: Rhinos edge Eagles in thriller

Mary-Anne Musonda starred with bat and ball

Alliance Health Eagles Women pushed Rhinos Women close but in the end fell just short as they lost to Rhinos by two runs in a thriller at Harare Sports Club on the second day of the Women’s T20 Cup.

After 13 year-old starlet Beloved Biza had put the much vaunted Rhinos attack on the backfoot with some rearguard action late on, it looked as if an unlikely win was on.

Biza took a run when she may have been best-served farming the strike to complete the win, allowing Rhinos captain Josephine Nkomo to use all her experience to concede zero runs off her last two balls.

Biza’s 18 runs came off a platform largely set by captain Modester Mupachikwa’s 47 and Kellies Ndlovu’s 38 as they tried to chase down 127.

Ashley Ndiraya’s two for 15 and Mary-Anne Musonda’s two for 19 helped restrict them to 124 for the loss of six wickets.

And it was on the back of Musonda’s player of the match unbeaten 55 that Rhinos amassed their total of 126 for the loss of two wickets.

She had partnerships of 59 with Kelly Ndiraya for the second wicket and an unbroken 66 for the third with Nkomo.

Watch Musonda speak after the win

There are no matches on Saturday due to local by-elections. The action returns on Sunday with Eagles Women taking on Tuskers Women at Harare Sports Club while Rhinos Women and Mountaineers women duel at Old Hararians.

Entry is free. Vaccination card in hand.