Coca-Cola Pro50 in Harare: Mashonaland Eagles (278) beat Matabeleland Tuskers (240) by 38 runs.

The Mashonaland Eagles juggernaut rolls on, completing a clean sweep over the other four franchises in the first half of the Pro50 programme when they beat Matabeleland Tuskers convincingly at Harare Sports Club.

2 Day Warm-up match in Bulawayo: New Zealanders 344 for 8 (Williamson 86*, McCulum 63, Taylor 51) and 49 for 0 drew with Zimbabwe A 241 (Waller 66, Martin 3-31)

Chris Martin and Daniel Vettori took three wickets apiece to lead the New Zealanders to a sizeable first-innings lead in the drawn tour match against Zimbabwe A in Bulawayo. Zimbabwe A were dismissed for 241, 103 runs behind New Zealanders' first-innings score of 344 for 8.

Martin struck an early blow for his team, bowling Hamilton Masakadza in the ninth over with Zimbabwe A on 17 for 1. Graeme Aldridge got the other opener, Tino Mawoyo, in the next over before another run had been scored. There was some resistance from the middle order, though, as Regis Chakabva made 40 and Malcolm Waller 66.

Once Waller was dismissed, however, with Zimbabwe A 183 for 6, the tail folded quickly. Vettori finished with 3 for 35, while Martin took 3 for 31. Aldridge chipped in with 2 for 40 as well.

The New Zealanders sent Vettori to open with BJ Watling, to give him some batting practice ahead of the Test. Vettori scored 32 off 37 balls as New Zealanders made 49 for 0 before the game ended.

Written by Cricinfo Staff

as women's team prepares for qualifiers in Bangladesh

The Zimbabwe national women’s team captain, Sharne Mayers lauded her team’s performance in their preparatory tour of Botswana which was one of many preparatory events leading up to the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers. The ladies played against the Botswana national women’s cricket team for two Twenty20 and two One-day Internationals in Gaborone from the 14th to the 17th of October 2011. Zimbabwe finished the series unbeaten in both formats and clinched the winner’s trophy in the process. The tour was the 19 year old right hander’s first assignment as the national team captain.

“I am really proud of the girls; we played a lot of good cricket in Gaborone. We were a well coordinated unit and that is something we should take to with us to Bangladesh in November”

“Being captain is not the toughest thing for me especially when you are as fortunate as me to have players I have played with from under-19 level and the national team. We have a great spirit and my job is made easier that way, so I know I have the right backing from the rest of team and that in itself is very encouraging,” said Mayers.

Mayers has a much tougher assignment of leading her team in the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2011 (WWCQ) to be held in Bangladesh from the 14th to the 25th of November 2011. The team includes the hosts and teams from Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies, USA and Zimbabwe to battle it out for the four remaining spots at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2013 which will be hosted by India.

“We really have to apply ourselves when we play in Bangladesh.  We are preparing ourselves for some very intense competition. The ladies are fitter now and working really hard and the whole team realizes how much more is more work needs to be done before we leave for Dhaka”

“The conditions are totally different from what we are used to in Zimbabwe and all the other teams will be just as hungry to qualify as we are,” said Mayers.

Mayers leads from the front and is one of the team’s top run scorers. She scored 81 runs from the one ODI innings she played in Gaborone and had a bowling average of 15.5 runs in the same tournament. Mayers is the complete all-rounder also able to keep wicket as well.

Zimbabwe is in Group A along with neighbouring South Africa, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, and the USA. 

The Squad: Sharne Meyers (captain), Julia Chibhabha, Precious Marange, Ashley Ndiraya, Sharyce Saili, Modester Mupachikwa, Pellagia Mujaji, Nonhlanhla Nyathi, Sinikiwe Mpofu, Thandolwenkosi Mlilo, Christabel Chatonzwa, Sarah Dambanevana, Audrey Mazvishaya, Loreen Tshuma

The national selectors have announced the Zimbabwe A squad for the two-day warm-up match against New Zealand at the BAC in Bulawayo onFriday the 28th and Saturday the 29th of October, 2011.

1.       Tinotenda Mawoyo (Captain);
2.       Elton Chigumbura;
3.       Mike Chinouya;
4.       Hamilton Masakadza;
5.       Shingirai Masakadza;
6.       Natsai M’shangwe;
7.       Forster Mutizwa;
8.       Njabulo Ncube;
9.       Edward Rainsford;
10.   Vusimuzi Sibanda;
11.   Tatenda Taibu; and
12.   Malcolm Waller.