On September 26, 2025, in the historic opening match of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) women’s tour of Zimbabwe, the UAE achieved their first-ever ODI victory by defeating Zimbabwe by 36 runs in a thrilling contest at Harare.
Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to field first, putting the UAE to bat. Opening the innings, Esha Oza and Lavanya Keny started positively for the UAE. Oza was caught out on 10 runs. Heena came in at number three and formed a crucial 56-run partnership with Lavanya, stabilizing the innings and laying a solid foundation.
The middle order showed resilience with Rinitha Rajith and Michelle Botha playing key roles, contributing 59* and 42* runs, respectively, giving a much-needed perfect partnership of 102*. The UAE finished their innings with a competitive total of 222 runs on the board.
Zimbabwe’s bowling attack was led by Loreen Tshuma, who claimed two wickets while maintaining an economical spell at just 3.00 runs per over. Nyasha Gwanzura, Tendai Makusha, and Adel Zimunu shared one wicket each.
Zimbabwe’s chase began with losing Modester Mupachikwa for a duck on the very first ball. However, a stabilizing 63-run partnership between Kelis Ndhlovu and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano brought hope to the home side. Despite this, Zimbabwe’s middle order collapsed under pressure.
Chiedza Dhururu and Nyasha Gwanzura made useful contributions of 32 and 34 runs respectively, but they were unable to reverse the momentum. The innings fell apart quickly, culminating in Zimbabwe being all out for 186 runs in 46.3 overs.
UAE’s bowling was both disciplined and effective, with standout performances from Samaira Dharnidharka, Athige Silva, and Esha Oza. Each bowler claimed a valuable three wickets, with Esha Oza impressing especially with her economical bowling, conceding just 2.5 runs per over making her the Player of the Match.
This victory marks a historic and proud moment for the UAE women’s cricket team—their first ODI win and on debut, as big as it gets. The team’s consistency, strength and calmness helped them secure a memorable 36-run victory against Zimbabwe.
The result is a significant milestone for UAE women’s cricket, showcasing growth and development in women’s cricket on the international stage. As the series continues, UAE will look to continue this momentum and secure the series and perform impressively giving Zimbabwe a tough competition.
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