Rising star Beloved Biza put on a superb all-round display with both bat and ball as Zimbabwe registered a convincing 28-run win over the hosts USA in the first T20I at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas, Texas on Friday.
The victory meant Zimbabwe took a 1-0 lead in the three match T20I series.
Batting first after USA won the toss and elected to field, Zimbabwe posted a modest 124 for seven in their alloted 20 obers, aided by disciplined contributions from their middle order.
Loreen Tshuma top scored for the Lady Chevrons with a quickfire 38 off 27 balls which featured five fours and a six.
Biza provided the support for the middle order with a well compiled 33 from 34 deliveries while Josephine Nkomo (22) and skipper Chipo are (15) also made valuable contributions with the bat.
In response, the USA faltered in the chase, managing only 96 for six in their allotted 20 overs.
Biza was the star with the ball, bagging three key wickets and choking the scoring rate with her accurate off spin.
After initially looking solid during their opening wicket partnership of 40 runs, the USA batting unit struggled for momentum, especially in the middle overs where they lost quick wickets.
Openers Disha Dhingra (16) and Chetna Pagydyala (25) put on 40 runs, but consumed too many balls, failing to capitalize on the powerplay. Once the first wicket fell, the middle order crumbled under pressure, losing four wickets for just 16 runs.
Biza’s spell of three wickets for 18 runs in her four overs proved decisive, removing Chetna Reddy Pagydyala, Isani Vaghela and Bhakti Ombhai Shastri, disrupting any rhythm USA had. Her sharp lines and subtle variations on a dry pitch made scoring difficult.
Although skipper Aditi Chudasama (17) and keeper Pooja Ganesh (21) added 36 runs in a gritty partnership, it was too little too late. Despite dropping a couple of easy catches Zimbabwe’s fielding was solid and helped tighten the screws further.