Series: Thailand in Zimbabwe Aug 2021
Venue: Harare Sports Club
Format: List A
Toss: Zimbabwe
Result: Zimbabwe by 7 wickets
Captain Returns to Lead Team to Victory
A boundary off the last ball of the 45th over by Zimbabwe captain Mary-Anne Musonda brought up her half century, victory and capped off a successful return to international cricket after surgery earlier in the year.
Musonda had earlier won the toss for Zimbabwe and invited Thailand to bat first in this first 50 match of four to be played at the Harare Sports Club. It was the first time Thailand had played in this format since 2016/17. Zimbabwe had played a series against South Africa Emerging Players in May so had a little form under their belts.
Left-arm seamer Nomvelo Sibanda took the new ball for Zimbabwe, a little wayward in the first over against the openers Nattaya Boochatham and Wongpaka Liengprasert. At the other end it was Josephine Nkomo with her right-arm medium pace and she struck though immediately, removing Liengprasert for a duck.
More success was to come for the home team when Sibanda removed Boochatham for 6, caught by Nkomo. It left the visitors in a precarious position at 2-17 and became worse when Tasmeen Granger got the big wicket of Natthakan Chantham, bowled for 6. Thailand now 35/3.
This dismissal brought Thailand’s new captain, Naruemol Chaiwai (67*) to the crease and she set about steadying the ship with wicket keeper/batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai (37). The pair started slowly but gathered pace and scored a 61 run partnership for the fourth wicket before the latter was bowled by Nkomo, giving the bowler two wickets.
Chanida Sutthiruang (55*) came to the crease and immediately began playing her shots, providing an entertaining innings at a brisk run rate. Her partnership with her captain, an unbroken 103 runs leaving Thailand 199/4 after fifty overs. This is the team’s highest score in 50 over cricket. Nkomo (2-37) was best with the ball, but Sibanda (1-38) was hot to handle at times and Granger’s off spin returned 1-14 from five overs.
The Zimbabwe openers, Ashley Ndiraya (40) and Christabel Chatonzwa (22) were untroubled by the bowlers and laid an excellent platform for the home team in a 59 run opening stand. It was former captain Sornnarin Tippoch who made the breakthrough with her off-spin, finding the edge of Chatonzwa’s bat and a sharp catch was taken by keeper Koncharoenkai.
Another wicket fell at 75 when Ratanaporn Padunglerd removed Ndiraya for a well made 40. This brought the captain to the crease to join Modester Mupachikwa (20) who was lucky to survive a confident LBW appeal the following delivery.
Mupachikwa batting at her own pace played two save pull shots from the bowling of Tippoch before she too fell to the off-spin of Padunglerd. It left Zimbabwe at 95/3 but it would be the last wicket to fall.
Josephine Nkomo (57*) joined her captain and the pair steadily paved the way to victory, untroubled by the bowling. Nkomo was coming off several half centuries scored against South Africa and displays great confidence at the crease, unafraid to go aerial as she played a couple of lofted drives.
Zimbabwe finished with an even 200 for the loss of just the three wickets in what was a comfortable victory. No Player of the Match was announced but Nkomo’s 2-37 and 57* surely deserved the award.
Thailand will not be too disappointed. Their first 50 over match since February 2017 and they hit their highest score for the loss of only four wickets. A little more enterprise with the bat and they’ll be posting competitive scores.
In the end, the day belonged to the Zimbabwe captain, returning from injury, victorious and a neat half century to her name.
Scores:
Thailand 199/4 (Naruemol Chaiwai 67*, Chanida Sutthiruang 55*, Josephine Nkomo 2-37) 50 overs
Zimbabwe 200/3 (Mary-Anne Musonda 50*, Josephine Nkomo 57*, Ratanaporn Padunglerd 2-35) 45 overs
Player of the Match: not announced