Zimbabwe U19 Women produced a confident run chase against Tuskers Women at the Bulawayo Athletic Club in Bulawayo on August 24, 2026, securing a seven-wicket victory in the Zimbabwe Women’s T20 Cup 2026. The young Zimbabwe side showed composure with the bat after Tuskers Women posted a competitive total, with Beloved Biza leading the chase with an unbeaten 68. Lorraine Pemhiwa and Christina Mutasa also played important attacking cameos as Zimbabwe U19 Women reached the target in just 15.3 overs. The result was built on a disciplined bowling effort followed by a controlled batting display, while Tuskers Women had moments of promise through Lorlyn Phiri and Loreen Tshuma.
Tuskers Women began their innings with Lindrose Masina and Lorlyn Phiri, but their opening partnership lasted only four balls. Masina was trapped lbw by Tawananyasha Zvomarima without scoring, leaving Tuskers at 0/1. Phiri, however, responded positively and found an attacking partner in Chledza Dhururu. The pair rebuilt the innings and took the score to 23 before Dhururu departed for 11 from 24 balls. Her innings included two boundaries but Tuskers were still searching for momentum in the powerplay. Phiri then continued to anchor the innings, eventually producing the standout contribution for Tuskers Women with 53 from 34 balls, including five fours and three sixes. Her strike rate of 155.88 gave the home side the impetus they needed in the middle overs.
Loreen Tshuma joined Phiri after the fall of Dhururu and the pair changed the tempo of the innings. Their partnership added 58 runs, taking Tuskers Women from 23/2 to 81/3. Tshuma was particularly effective against the bowlers, scoring 35 from just 24 deliveries with five fours and a six. Phiri’s aggressive 53 ensured that Tuskers remained on course for a sizeable total, but the partnership was broken when Phiri was dismissed for 53. Tshuma followed soon after, bringing an end to a productive phase of the innings. With the score at 81/3, Tuskers needed another partnership to finish strongly.
Thubellihle Saidi and Tasmeen Granger attempted to provide that late-innings acceleration. Saidi made 7 from 11 balls before being dismissed at 97/4, while Granger continued to push the scoring rate and contributed 15 from 17 balls. Their stand was followed by a 27-run partnership that took Tuskers to 124/5, but the innings lost wickets at regular intervals thereafter. Granger was dismissed for 15, and Nomvelo Sibanda fell for a duck as Tuskers slipped to 128/6 and then 129/8. Tendai Makusha added a single before being dismissed, while Gracious Nsingo remained unbeaten on 1 and Lindokuhle Mahbera finished unbeaten on 1. Tuskers Women eventually reached 131/8 from their allotted 20 overs, with seven extras also contributing to the final score.
Zimbabwe U19 Women used their bowling resources effectively to prevent Tuskers from breaking away. Beloved Biza was the pick of the bowlers, claiming three wickets for 14 runs from her four overs, while Makanaka Zinyama also impressed with two wickets for 21 runs. Tawananyasha Zvomarima returned figures of 1/15 from four overs and Salem Museka took 1/22. Nicolette Nyika claimed one wicket but conceded 32 runs from her three overs, while Vanessa Mayedza finished wicketless after conceding 25 runs from two overs. Despite a few expensive spells, the combined bowling effort ensured that Tuskers were restricted to 131/8, leaving Zimbabwe U19 Women needing 132 to win.
Zimbabwe’s chase began with Nicolette Nyika and Beloved Biza at the crease. The opening pair put together 32 runs before Nyika was dismissed by Lorlyn Phiri for 4 from 14 balls. That early wicket did little to unsettle Biza, who took responsibility for the chase and found an ideal partner in Lorraine Pemhiwa. The second-wicket partnership became the turning point of the match as Biza and Pemhiwa added 71 runs. Biza combined placement with powerful strokeplay, while Pemhiwa attacked the Tuskers bowlers whenever opportunities arose. Pemhiwa eventually fell for an impressive 38 from only 24 balls, with three fours and a six, leaving Zimbabwe U19 Women at 103/2 and needing just 29 more runs for victory.
Christina Mutasa then joined Biza and immediately accelerated the chase. Mutasa smashed 18 from just eight deliveries, striking three fours and recording a remarkable strike rate of 225. Her aggressive innings put the result beyond doubt and helped Zimbabwe U19 Women move rapidly from 103/2 to 128/3. Mutasa was dismissed by Tendai Makusha, but by then the damage had been done. Makanaka Zinyama came to the crease and needed only one delivery to score a run, joining the unbeaten Biza as Zimbabwe U19 Women completed the chase at 133/3 in 15.3 overs.
Tuskers Women rotated eight bowlers during the chase. Lindokuhle Mahbera bowled two overs for 10 runs, while Thubellihle Saidi conceded 27 from her two overs. Tendai Makusha was one of the more economical options, taking 1/20 from 3.3 overs, while Lorlyn Phiri claimed 1/11 from two overs. Gracious Nsingo conceded 24 from three overs and Tasmeen Granger went for 13 from her lone over. Nomvelo Sibanda returned figures of 1/15 from one over, while Philontropic Shango conceded 12 from her over. The wickets kept Tuskers in the contest briefly, but the lack of sustained pressure allowed Zimbabwe’s batters to take control.
The decisive difference was Zimbabwe U19 Women’s ability to convert partnerships into momentum. After losing Nyika at 32, Biza and Pemhiwa added 71, and Mutasa’s eight-ball blitz ensured there was no late twist. Biza’s unbeaten 68 from 49 balls, decorated with 13 fours, was the defining innings of the chase. She remained calm while her partners attacked around her, eventually guiding Zimbabwe U19 Women to 133/3 in 15.3 overs. The seven-wicket victory highlighted the side’s batting depth and composure and also underlined the growing confidence of Zimbabwe’s emerging women’s cricketers.
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