Windies lose second ODI as Zimbabwe level series
Zimbabwe 140 for 6 (Mupachikwa 38, Ndhlovu 30; Munisar 2-15) beat West Indies 139 all out (Taylor 47, Matthews 26; Gwanzura 4-33) by 4 wickets
On a day when their batting star didn’t shine, the West Indies found not much else by way of breathing room and were suffocated by Zimbabwe’s bowlers, being dismissed for 139, eventually succumbing to a four-wicket loss in the second Women’s One-Day International in Harare.
The result leaves the series in the balance at 1-1, ahead of the decider on Wednesday.
Modester Mupachikwa (38) and Kelis Ndhlovu (30) provided the perfect platform for the Zimbabwe chase. The pair put on 67 cautious runs to keep the Windies opening bowlers at bay.
The hosts then lost three for three, slipping to 70 for three. Aaliyah Alleyne dismissed both openers, while Ashmini Munisar removed Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano for a duck.
Beloved Biza and captain Josephine Nkomo then put on 30 runs to momentarily steady the ship before Afy Fletcher removed Biza (14) and Chiedza Dhururu (2) in consecutive overs at 105 for five.
Nkomo went on to share in another vital 28-run stand with Nyasha Gwanzura, leaving Zimbabwe just seven runs from victory when she fell to Munisar for 30 at 133 for six. Gwanzura (18*) then saw the hosts home without further loss at 140 for 6.
Stafanie Taylor’s individual 47, alongside Hayley Matthews in a partnership of a similar tally, was the highlight of a West Indies low score. After losing Realeanna Grimmond in the second over for four, Matthews and Taylor seemed to settle into a familiar rhythm.
Zimbabwe looked to have missed their chance to put pressure on the rest of the Windies batting when Tendai Makusha bowled Taylor off a no-ball in the fifth over with the score on 17. Nyasha Gwanzura (4-33) would, however, prise the wicket of Matthews in the 12th, having the visiting captain caught behind for 26 with the score 56 for two.
The West Indies then lost Shemaine Campbelle (3) and Chinelle Henry (0), both dismissed by Francisca Chipare (2-16) in the span of three balls, slipping to 63 for four in the 15th.
Taylor stood at one end, watching the rotation of batters at the other. Neither Jannillea Glasgow, Zaida James—who failed to captalize on another chance—nor Aaliyah Alleyne crossed double figures before Taylor herself was dismissed just shy of another half-century at 101 for eight.
The final two partnerships added 38 runs to the total, with Afy Fletcher accounting for 15 and Ashmini Munisar left unbeaten on 20.