It was a historic moment as Vanuatu stunned Zimbabwe in the ICC T20 Women’s qualifiers played at Sheikh Zayed International Stadium, Abu Dhabi on 25th April 2024. There are a total of 10 teams with 2 groups of 5 teams each. Group B consists of Zimbabwe, Vanuatu, Ireland, UAE, and the Netherlands. Vanuatu stunned Zimbabwe in a one-sided contest.
Zimbabwe captain Mary Anne Musonda won the toss and decided to bat first. Vanuatu bowlers kept it tight not allowing Zimbabwe batters to score runs easily. They bowled with discipline and took wickets at regular intervals. At the end of six overs, Zimbabwe looked in trouble at 38 for 4.
Navaika ripped the heart out of Zimbabwe’s batting not allowing them to score runs quickly. She was brilliant with her lines and lengths making life tough for Zimbabwe batters. Vanuatu skittled Zimbabwe out for just 61 in 13.3 overs. Racheal Andrew took 2 for 10, Vanessa Vira took 3 for 14 and Nasimana Navaika was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 13 in 4 overs.
Chasing down 63 runs to win, Nasimana Navaika top-scored for Vanuatu with 21 while Alvina Chila remained not out on 10. Vanuatu won the match by six wickets with 21 balls to spare. Despite some struggles with their batting, Vanuatu held onto their nerves to register a memorable win over Zimbabwe.
Vanuatu head coach Josh Rasu has hailed his team's spirit fresh from their shock win over Zimbabwe at the Women's #T20WorldCup Qualifier 👇https://t.co/ZinKVvkzxk
— ICC (@ICC) April 26, 2024
Group A comprised of Scotland, favourites Sri Lanka, the United States of America, Thailand and Uganda. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals and two finalists will make it into the main round of the T20 World Cup to be played in Bangladesh this year.
“However, their victory speaks volumes about their dedication and skill. It’s an honor to witness their performance, especially as newcomers and an underdog. This team is a tight-knit family willing to fight for one another.”
Vanuatu progress to T20 World Cup qualifiers 2024
Vanuatu progressed into the T20 World Cup qualifiers 2024 by finishing as the winners of the East Asia Pacific Region played from 1st to 8th September 2023. They won 6 out of 6 matches and qualified for the qualifiers.
They defeated PNG, Indonesia, Japan, Samoa, Cook Islands, and Fiji to finish at the top of the points table. Vanuatu will now face the Netherlands in their 2nd game at Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi on 27th April 2024.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.