MODESTER MUPACHIKWA watched Hayley Matthews construct a monumental 182 from behind the stumps, then produced Zimbabwe’s most accomplished response with a career best 86 as the hosts went down fighting by 99 runs against West Indies Women in the opening ODI at Harare Sports Club on Thursday.
Matthews’ innings was the difference between the sides. The West Indies captain occupied the crease for almost the entire innings, striking 26 fours and two sixes from 156 balls to propel the visitors to 299 for six after they elected to bat.
Zimbabwe responded with 200 in 43.3 overs, their highest scorer Mupachikwa carrying the innings deep after an encouraging start to the chase.
The wicketkeeper batter struck seven fours and a six in her 106 ball stay, passing her half century from 75 deliveries and remaining at the crease until the final wicket fell.
It was a performance made more intriguing by the fact that Mupachikwa had spent the first half of the day with the best possible view of Matthews’ masterclass.
“I was behind the stumps to see how she went around the innings,” Mupachikwa said.
“She was playing so well, and I feel like she just goes through the processes. She doesn’t go for a pitch, she just assesses what’s happening on the pitch and goes for the ball.”
That lesson was reflected in Mupachikwa’s own approach when Zimbabwe were confronted by a target of 300.
Rather than attempt to erase the deficit in a hurry, the hosts wanted to break the chase into manageable passages.
“As a team, since the first goal was just 300 balls, we were just thinking to go run a ball and not put too much pressure on ourselves,” Mupachikwa said.
“We were not trying to go for big shots, but as much as we could, play straight.”
Zimbabwe showed intent immediately.
Sharne Mayers struck 21 from 23 balls, including two fours and a six, as the hosts reached 34 before losing their first wicket in the seventh over.
Kelis Ndhlovu followed with 15 from 17, striking three boundaries, but her dismissal left Zimbabwe 51 for two after 10 overs.
Mupachikwa then found support from Chipo Mugeri Tiripano.
The pair added 49 for the third wicket and carried Zimbabwe to 100 before Mugeri Tiripano was dismissed for 26.
Beloved Biza made 11 and captain Josephine Nkomo contributed 10, but wickets around Mupachikwa increasingly placed the responsibility for the chase on her shoulders.
She refused to be hurried.
“I couldn’t get into pressure,” she said. “I just told myself that we have so many overs to go. I was just communicating with whoever was coming out to bat, that we make things easier. Let’s just look for runs and continue to strive.”
Mupachikwa eventually reached her half century with a six, an attacking flourish that she admitted was more instinct than design.
“Honestly, it just happened. My instincts were like, I should go for this ball and just run and make it a six.”
Zimbabwe reached 150 in the 34th over, but West Indies continued to chip away at the other end.
Aaliyah Alleyne eventually ended Mupachikwa’s resistance at 200, completing figures of three for 44. Jannillea Glasgow, Ashmini Munisar and Afy Fletcher claimed two wickets each as the visitors shared the workload.
Earlier, Zimbabwe had discovered just how costly it can be to give Matthews another opportunity.
The West Indies captain was put down on 45 and made the hosts pay heavily.
Matthews and Realeanna Grimmond established a 128 run opening partnership that provided the foundation for the visitors’ total.
Grimmond made 53 from 70 balls with seven fours and a six before Biza provided Zimbabwe with their first breakthrough.
Francisca Chipare then bowled Stafanie Taylor for two, but Matthews continued.
Shemaine Campbelle was trapped lbw by Nyasha Gwanzura for 13 before Chipare struck again to remove Chinelle Henry for 19.
Zimbabwe were finding wickets, but Matthews remained the immovable obstacle.
Having reached three figures, she refused to treat the century as the destination.
“I guess just not settling for the smaller hundreds,” Matthews said.
“Whenever I get the opportunity to score a hundred and still have a lot of overs left to bat, rather than just giving it away, I try to take it as deep as possible and get a really big one.
“It’s not every day you get the chance to score a hundred. So when I do get to those numbers, I feel really set to try to make it as big as possible.”
She did exactly that.
Matthews stretched her innings to a new personal best of 182 before Tendai Makusha finally bowled her in the last over.
By then, the damage had been done.
For Matthews, the innings was also an example of what she believes captaincy demands from her.
“I want to try to be different as much as I can and lead as an example out on the park with the bat,” she said.
“To be able to go out there at the top of the order and get a score like that, and get us into a position going into that second innings where we felt that we had a good score on the board, certainly makes me feel like I did my job.”
Zimbabwe could nevertheless take encouragement from their work with the ball after the opening partnership.
Chipare returned two for 57 from her 10 overs, including two maidens, while Biza, Gwanzura and Makusha claimed a wicket apiece.
Olinder Chare was particularly economical, conceding just 20 runs from 6.1 overs.
Mupachikwa acknowledged that Zimbabwe had periods when they made scoring difficult, although the 18 wides among West Indies’ 22 extras left obvious room for improvement.
“I think us, we did a good thing bowling wise because at first they were struggling to get runs,” she said, before conceding that Zimbabwe had also given away too many wides.
The match was Zimbabwe’s latest assignment under coach Mark Coles, and Mupachikwa believes the side is beginning to absorb his methods.
“Mark has brought in quite a lot of things,” she said. “He is a good coach and we have been going through our game plans and stuff, the tactical side of the game, which is also the mental side of the game.
“So we have been going in the right direction and everyone is enjoying Mark’s company.”
For Zimbabwe, the scoreboard showed a 99 run defeat and West Indies walked away with the first ICC Women’s Championship points of the series.
Yet there was also something for the hosts to carry forward.
Matthews provided the lesson with a commanding 182, showing the value of turning a start into an innings capable of defining a match.
