Zimbabwe secured the inaugural title of the Women’s T20 Cricket tournament at the 13th African Games, triumphing in a thrilling Super Over against South Africa in the final at the Achimota Senior Secondary School in Accra.
The competition featured a total of eight teams, serving as the qualifier for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Sixteen matches were scheduled to be played throughout the tournament, all hosted at the Achimota Complex in Ghana.
The teams were divided into two groups of four each. Each team faced the other three in their respective groups. The top two teams from both groups advanced to the semi-finals. The first semi-final was contested between Group A’s winner and Group B’s runner-up, while the second semi-final saw Group B’s winner facing off against Group A’s runner-up.
Ultimately, the semi-final match winners progressed to the Gold Medal final, held on Wednesday, March 13. Meanwhile, the remaining two teams competed for the Bronze Medal.
Group A consisted of Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania, while Group B comprised Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Here’s how the Group Stage Matches unfolded
7th March | |
Match 1- Namibia vs South Africa | Namibia Won by 1 Run [DLS Method] |
Match 2- Tanzania vs Nigeria | No Result |
Match 3- Rwanda vs Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe Won by 7 Wickets [With 2 Balls Remaining] |
Match 4- Kenya vs Uganda | Uganda Won by 6 Wickets [With 2 Balls Remaining] |
8th March | |
Match 5- Tanzania vs South Africa | South Africa Won by 8 Wickets [With 58 Balls Remaining] |
Match 6- Nigeria vs Nigeria | Nigeria Won by 55 Runs |
Match 7- Uganda vs Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe Won by 4 Wickets [With 2 Balls Remaining] |
Match 8- Rwanda vs Kenya | Kenya Won by 7 Wickets [With 18 Balls Remaining] |
10th March | |
Match 9- Namibia vs Tanzania | Tanzania Won by 1 Wicket [With 8 Balls Remaining] |
Match 10- Nigeria vs South Africa | South Africa Won by 4 Wickets [With 31 Balls Remaining] |
Match 11- Zimbabwe vs Kenya | Zimbabwe Won by 68 Runs |
Match 12- Uganda vs Rwanda | Uganda Won by 30 Runs |
11th March | |
1st Semi Finals- South Africa vs Uganda | South Africa Won by 50 Runs |
2nd Semi Finals- Nigeria vs Zimbabwe | Zimbabwe Won by 5 Wickets [With 24 Balls Remaining] |
13th March | |
3rd Place Playoff: Uganda vs Nigeria | Nigeria Won by 3 Wickets [With 4 Balls Remaining] |
Zimbabwe Women are the champions of Africa and take Gold at the Africa Games!
Here is the historic moment that Zimbabwe took down South Africa!
What a team 🇿🇼🥇 pic.twitter.com/afRpJCX7mE
— Adam Theo🇿🇼🏏 (@AdamTheofilatos) March 13, 2024
Final: Zimbabwe vs South Africa– Zimbabwe Won in the Super Over
The stage was set for an exhilarating clash as Zimbabwe took on South Africa in a thrilling encounter. Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, South Africa’s Leah Jones drew first blood, dismissing Sharne Mayers early on. However, Ndhlovu and Mupachikwa steadied Zimbabwe’s ship with a resilient partnership, guiding their team past the 50-run mark.
🥁 👏👏👏🔥
18-year old Kelis Ndhlovu was adjudged as the player of the match for the African Games final and Player of the tournament.
All- rounder Ndhlovu, nicknamed Monte made her debut for Zimbabwe in 2022 as a 16-year old. pic.twitter.com/2LFqwRmp4X
— Zimbabwe Cricket – Women (@zimbabwewomen) March 14, 2024
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Despite losing Ndhlovu midway through the innings, Zimbabwe kept the scoreboard ticking, thanks to Mupachikwa’s solid performance. However, quick wickets towards the end halted their momentum briefly, but Pellagia Mujaji’s late flourish propelled them to a competitive total of 112/5.
In response, South Africa’s chase got off to a shaky start, losing three wickets within the powerplay. The Zimbabwean bowlers kept the pressure on, claiming regular breakthroughs. Yet, Miané Smit’s resilient knock kept South Africa in the hunt. A late surge from the lower order took the game down to the wire and a runout in the final ball saw the match ending in a dramatic tie.
The tension only escalated as the game entered a Super Over. In a nerve-wracking finale, Zimbabwe held their nerve, restricting South Africa to just two runs and picking up crucial wickets.
Chasing a modest target, Zimbabwe’s Ndhlovu sealed the deal with a boundary, securing a historic win and the gold medal for her team, while South Africa settled for the silver.
Zimbabwe have won GOLD.🔥🔥🔥🔥
The match had to be decided in the Super over. Zimbabwe 112-5 in 20 overs
South Africa 112-7 in 20 oversThis led to the Super Over. South Africa were 2-2, leaving Zimbabwe needing 3 runs to win in 6 balls. pic.twitter.com/vSVyAgWqjy
— Zimbabwe Cricket – Women (@zimbabwewomen) March 13, 2024
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