Lady Chevrons' World Cup dream crashes

• Published date: 24 September 2022
• Publication title: The Herald

Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter ABSOLUTELY gutted! This is how the Zimbabwe national cricket team coach Gary Brent described his feelings yesterday after his team came just four runs short of qualifying for their first ever major international tournament following the defeat to Ireland in the decisive ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier semi-final clash at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Zimbabwe put up a brave chase after Ireland had amassed a defendable total of 137/6 in their 20 overs, after benefitting from some fielding errors from the Lady Chevrons along the way.

But the game looked within reach despite the early setbacks from the dismissals of Kelis Ndhlovu and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano. It remained a cliff-hanger until the last ball, when Zimbabwe needed six for victory but the Irish bowlers could not let up, resulting in a single to take their tally to 133/6 at the end of their innings.

Still Brent was convinced the closely fought game could have gone either way. The former Zimbabwe international was saddened by the result, as he felt his charges put in a good fight.

"Absolutely gutted," he said after the game. "The girls had put in a lot of work.

I am very proud of their efforts and to fall that close is agonizing. But I think all credit to Ireland.

I think they handled the pressure better than we did and that's all it came down to in the end "On a different day it could have gone either way. So they handled the occasion a little better than we did.

" Ireland grabbed the first ticket to the ICC Women's T20 World Cup finals to be held in South Africa next year. Two slots were available at this qualifying tournament.

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