The battle lines are drawn for the 3rd T20I at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo as South Africa Women look to keep up their relentless momentum, now 2-0 up, while Zimbabwe Women desperate to turn things around on home soil.
The Proteas have used this historic maiden tour of Zimbabwe to test out an exciting, youthful core under Laura Wolvaardt. Players like Anneke Bosch and Faye Tunnicliffe have given them immense firepower at the top, while fresh faces like debutant Nthabiseng Nini have stepped up with the ball. Zimbabwe, led by Josephine Nkomo, have shown flashes of resilience—with Modester Mupachikwa and Kelis Ndhlovu putting up stubborn resistance—but their batting unit has struggled to put together complete, high-impact innings against South Africa’s disciplined attack.
Squads:
Zimbabwe Women’s Cricket Team
Josephine Nkomo (C), Beloved Biza, Kudzai Chigora, Francisca Chipare, Nyasha Gwanzura, Lindokuhle Mabhero, Tendai Makusha, Michelle Mavunga, Sharne Mayers, Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, Modester Mupachikwa, Christine Mutasa, Kelis Ndhlovu, Lorraine Pemhiwa, Loryn Phiri, Nomvelo Sibanda, Loreen Tshuma
South Africa Women’s Cricket Team
Laura Wolvaardt (C), Anneke Bosch, Annerie Dercksen, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Eliz-Mari Marx, Karabo Meso, Seshnie Naidu, Luyanda Nzuza, Nthabiseng Nini, Kayla Reyneke, Nondumiso Shangase, Miane Smit, Faye Tunnicliffe, Caitlin Wyngaard
Players to watch out:
Anneke Bosch
Anneke Bosch has been explosive at the top of the order across her 2 matches, leading the run charts with 148 runs at a staggering strike rate of 200.00. She registered half-centuries in both of her innings, posting a top score of 83 and maintaining an average of 74.00. Facing just 74 deliveries in total, she has found the rope consistently with 23 fours and 3 sixes without being dismissed for a duck.
Nthabiseng Nini
Nthabiseng Nini leads the bowling attack with 4 wickets in 2 matches at an average of 8.75. Across her 4.3 overs (27 balls) in 2 innings, she has surrendered 35 runs while holding an economy rate of 7.77 and a strike rate of 6.75. Her standout spell of the series so far came with the best figures of 3/17, providing key breakthroughs for South Africa.
Modester Mupachikwa
Modester Mupachikwa has provided stability for Zimbabwe across 2 matches, scoring 47 runs while staying not out in one of her 2 innings. With the highest score of 36, she carries an average of 47.00 while facing 60 balls at a strike rate of 78.33. She has struck 6 boundaries so far, acting as a reliable presence at the crease without suffering any zero-runs dismissals.
Michelle Mavunga
Michelle Mavunga has bowled 5.0 complete overs across 2 matches for Zimbabwe, collecting 2 wickets while conceding 35 runs. She maintains a steady economy rate of 7.00 alongside a strike rate of 15.00 and an average of 17.50. Her best spell of the series stands at 1/10, demonstrating disciplined length control over her 30 deliveries.
Pitch:
Queens Sports Club features a traditional, natural red-soil surface that offers a genuinely balanced contest. Fast bowlers extract sharp seam movement and carry with the new ball during the early overs, while batters can stroke fluently across quick outfields once set. As the match progresses and the pitch slows down, the dry surface begins to grip, giving spinners significant turn and making run-scoring harder.
Weather:
Bulawayo will experience warm, clear, and sunny conditions, with afternoon temperatures reaching around 26°C to 28°C and nighttime lows dropping to 11°C–13°C. There is no threat of rain (0% chance), and a moderate easterly breeze around 14–20 km/h will keep conditions pleasant.
Fantasy Playing XI:
Josephine Nkomo, Beloved Biza, Kudzai Chigora, Francisca Chipare, Nyasha Gwanzura, Laura Wolvaardt, Anneke Bosch, Annerie Dercksen, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Eliz-Mari Marx
Match Details:
Date – September 15, 2026
Time – 5:00 PM IST
Venue – Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on Zimbabwe Cricket YouTube channel.
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