ZIMBABWE bade farewell to lower tier cricket in style, winning the ICC Men's T20 Africa Cup unbeaten in the tournament following an emphatic seven-wicket win against Namibia in the final played at the Harare Sports Club yesterday.
The victory marked a significant milestone for the team, as they join the ranks of the big boys' league for the 2026 T20 World Cup scheduled for India and Sri Lanka.
The Zimbabwe Cricket board's deliberate plan to expose the team to quality opposition against seasoned sides such as South Africa and England bore fruit, with the team lifting the Cup on a 100% winning record.
Zimbabwe coach Justin Sammons was delighted with the qualification for the World Cup.
"Qualifying, is absolutely massive,” Sammons said. “It gives an opportunity for our guys to be on the world stage and I think a lot of them really, really deserve to shine there.
“So I think from an individual point of view, it's brilliant," .
"From the nation and the country's point of view, I think it goes a long way in seeing them back at a World Cup and competing against the best on the biggest stage.
“It's a massive, obviously, achievement. It goes a long way into the future, especially in terms of preparation and other thing and for the home World Cup here in 2027, even though it's a different format.”
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Zimbabwe's campaign was nothing short of remarkable, with three wins in the Group Stage, a semifinal triumph, and the final victory.
In the final, the Chevrons elected to field first after winning the toss.
Seamer Richard Ngarava, fresh from reaching his 100th T20 wicket, fired from all cylinders, claiming three wickets for 26 runs from four overs.
Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, and Ryan Burl also chipped in, settling for a wicket each, to restrict Namibia to 157/6 in 20 overs.
In response, Zimbabwe's openers got off to a decent start, but the team lost Brian Bennett for 15 runs.
Bennett was caught by Namibian captain Gerhard Erasmus off Ben Shikongo's bowling, leaving Zimbabwe on 29/1 after 3.5 overs.
However, Tadiwanashe Marumani composed himself well, abandoning his trademark explosive batting style for a more mature approach.
He reached his half-century and top-scored unbeaten on 74 runs off 61 deliveries, hitting three boundaries and two sixes in his 92-minute uninterrupted occupation of the crease.
Dion Myers also made a valuable contribution, scoring 44 runs off 33 balls.
As the match drew to a close, all-rounder Burl made sure the silverware was tucked in Zimbabwe's bag, hitting two successive boundaries in the final over.
Burl ended the match on 26 runs not out, having faced only 12 deliveries and hit four boundaries in the process as Zimbabwe announced its welcome return on the international stage.
