Women’s Cricket Tri-Series kicks off 

Namibia’s Capricorn Eagles will be out to improve their world ranking when they host Zimbabwe and UAE in the T20 International Capricorn Eagles Tri-Series which gets underway at the Wanderers field today. 

Namibia is currently ranked 18th in the world and with their opponents both ranked higher with Zimbabwe at 14th and UAE at 16th, good results will see them climbing up the rankings. 

Women’s cricket in Namibia has made great strides over the past few years under the guidance of national coach Francois van der Merwe, while their financial support from the Capricorn Group contributed to the players being contracted for the first time this year. This has seen them steadily moving up the world rankings from 26th to 18th over the past three years and the CEO of Cricket Namibia, Johan Muller said the aim was to improve their world ranking.

“Two years ago we started getting additional tournaments to gain more international exposure and to improve our women’s cricket, so this tournament also forms part of our women’s development with the aim to get a higher world ranking,” he said. 

“We’ve had two series’ against the UAE and won them both, but their women’s programme has been running longer than ours so they are still ranked higher,” he added. 

Zimbabwe have held the upper hand over Namibia in previous tournaments while they also knocked them out of the African World Cup qualifiers in their last meeting in December last year with a comprehensive 86-run victory. 

With 15 women’s players now on contract with Cricket Namibia, it has led to a more specialised coaching approach according to Muller. 

“Women’s cricket has become much more professional now – they do more work in the gym now, while there are also more one-on-one coaching sessions,” he said.

Cricket Namibia earlier this week announced a 14-member squad for the series, which will be captained by Sune Wittmann and includes several experienced players like Yasmeen Khan, Irene van Zyl and Kayleen Green. Several promising youngsters have, however, also been selected, including three school girls in Mezerly Gorases, Saima Tuhadeleni and Mekelaye Mwatile, and they will be out to strengthen their claims for regular starting positions.

The tournament kicks off at the Wanderers field today with Namibia taking on UAE at 14h00, to be followed by matches on a daily basis until 14 September.

Cricket Namibia invites sport enthusiasts and supporters to join them at Wanderers Cricket Ground to support the Capricorn Eagles as they battle it out in the international series. 

The teams are as follows:

Capricorn Eagles Squad: 

Sune Wittmann (c), Yasmeen Khan (vc), Mezerly Gorases, Wilka Mwatile, Arrasta Diergaardt, Edelle van Zyl, Mekelaye Mwatile, Victoria Hamunyela, Saima Tuhadeleni, Kayleen Green, Irene van Zyl, Naomi Benjamin, Bianca Manuel, Sylvia Shihepo.

Zimbabwe Squad: 

Chiyedza Dhururu (c), Josephine Nkomo, Kelis Ndhlovu, Beloved Biza, Modester Mupachikwa, Chipo Mugeri Tiripano, Loryn Phiri, Christina Mutasa, Runyararo Pasipanodya, Passionate Munorwei, Tawananyasha Marumani, Kudzai Chigora, Lindokuhle Mabhera, Chipo Moyo, Lorraine Pemhiwa. 

UAE Squad: 

Esha Oza (c), Archara Supriya, Heena Harish Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kavisha Kumari Egodage, Keziah Miriam Sabin, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Rinitha Rajith, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper), Vaishnave Mahesh.