Vanuatu, ranked 30th, stunned Zimbabwe (12th) on the opening day of the Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier by beating them by six wickets after bowling them out for their lowest T20I score of 61. The result will rank among the biggest sporting success stories of Vanuatu, a small island nation with a population of little more than 300,000, who are appearing at a World Cup – men’s or women’s – Qualifier for the first time.
This was also the first time Vanuatu had played a match against a team outside of the East-Asia Pacific (EAP) region and they looked entirely at home in Abu Dhabi. Their spinners, Vanessa Vira and Nasimana Navaika, shared seven wickets between them against a Zimbabwean line-up that understandably appeared to be deer in the headlights. With floodlights only installed at Harare Sports Club last July, they have scant experience of playing day-night cricket, and struggled to negotiate Vanuatu’s slower bowlers.
Offspinner Vira made the first incision when she had Modester Mupachikwa caught behind in the second over but Zimbabwe’s problems really began three overs later. Medium-pacer Rachel Andrew bowled Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano and captain Mary-Anne Musonda with successive deliveries. Sharne Mayers looked good for her 12-ball 16 but fell in the last over of the powerplay, which Zimbabwe finished on 38 for 4.
Legspinner Navaika then took four wickets in 10 balls to register career-best figures of 4 for 13 and leave Zimbabwe in tatters at 55 for 8 after 11 overs. They dragged themselves over 60 but only just and were bowled out in the 14th over.
In response, Vanuatu lost their opening batters, Andrew and Valenta Langiatu, who was dropped at slip the ball before being caught, in the powerplay, which ended on a cautious 25 for 3. They almost lost their captain Selina Solman to what seemed a hamstring niggle in the ninth over but she batted on and shared in a 19-run stand with Navaika before top-edging Audrey Mazvishaya, who did not concede a run for her first 12 balls. Her third over cost seven runs and left Vanuatu on the brink of victory. But they did not get there without Mazvishaya having one more say on the game. She bowled Navaika at the start of the 16th over with Vanuatu four runs away. They got there in the 17th over with 21 balls to spare and earned a historic victory that blows open Group B of the qualifier and continues the rise and rise of Vanuatu.
In the last seven months, Vanuatu have earned morale-boosting victories over teams much stronger than them on paper. In September, they beat regional rivals Papua New Guinea, who are ranked 11th, for the first time on their way to winning the EAP Qualifier to earn their place in Abu Dhabi.
They were due to travel with borrowed or donated gear but a successful crowd-funding campaign launched by their operations manager Jamal Vira and marketing manager Hermione Vira raised the equivalent of USD 6,317 to ensure each squad member had their own, new kit for the tournament.
Other results: Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland start with wins
Earlier in the day, favourites Sri Lanka successfully defended 122 against Thailand, who they bowled out for their third lowest T20I total – 55. Sri Lanka were hamstrung by two run-outs in an innings where no one scored more than 29. But left-arm seamer Udeshika Prabodhani and offspinner Inoshi Priyadharshani shared five wickets between them to earn Sri Lanka a comfortable win.
In Group B, Ireland opened their campaign with a six-wicket win over UAE, who they kept to 105 for 9. Contributions from Ireland top three meant that even when they lost three wickets for seven runs, they were always in charge of the chase. Orla Prendergast, in her 49th T20I, saw them home in the 17th over.
The evening’s other match saw Scotland dominate Uganda after half-centuries from Saskia Horley and Ailsa Lister took them to an imposing total of 161 for 3. Uganda had no answers against the left-arm seam of Rachel Slater (5 for 17) and went from 10 for 3 to 35 for 7 and 52 all out to suffer a 109-run loss.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s correspondent for South Africa and women’s cricket
