HomeSeries ReviewZimbabwe Secured The Gold Medal At The Women's African Games 2024

Zimbabwe Secured The Gold Medal At The Women’s African Games 2024

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]

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.

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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.


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