Zimbabwe’s men’s cricket team mirrored the success of their female counterparts by clinching the gold medal at the 13th Africa Games in Accra. They secured a commanding victory over Namibia in the final, triumphing by eight wickets.
Chasing a modest target of 114 runs, the Zimbabwean emerging side, comprising promising talents under the age of 25, reached their goal with ease, finishing the match with 5.1 overs to spare. Tadiwanashe Marumani played a stellar innings, achieving his highest T20 score of 58 runs.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Namibia’s innings got off to a shaky start. Brian Bennett’s run-out of Nikolaas Davin and Wallace Mubayiwa’s dismissal of Gerhard van Rensburg left Namibia reeling at two down for five runs within the first three overs.
Despite a brief recovery led by Malan Kruger (22) and JP Kotze (26), Namibia struggled to accelerate their scoring rate. Their innings lacked momentum, with Dylan Leicher (29) and Jan Balt (18) contributing to a total of only 113 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
Zimbabwe’s bowlers delivered a disciplined performance, with each of the five bowlers claiming a wicket and two run-outs adding to the pressure on Namibia. Notably, Wallace Mubayiwa stood out with figures of one for 15 in his four overs.
In response, Zimbabwe faced no significant pressure as they began their innings. Openers Rodney Mupfudza and Marumani cautiously played themselves in before shifting gears to attack the Namibian bowlers confidently. Marumani’s aggressive strokeplay, including three successive fours off Handre Klazinge, propelled Zimbabwe towards victory.
Although Mupfudza fell for 24 runs, Marumani continued his assault before being dismissed for a well-crafted 58 off 40 deliveries. Clive Madande and Johnathan Campbell saw Zimbabwe through to victory, with Campbell’s composed innings of 23 runs ensuring a comfortable win for his team.
With this impressive performance, Zimbabwe’s men’s cricket team secured the gold medal, adding to the nation’s sporting achievements in the Africa Games.
