ZIMBABWE Women’s cricket team captain Mary-Anne Musonda described the historic staging of ladies games under lights for the first time in the country as a big occasion and an appreciation of the modern demands of the game by the authorities.
Harare Sports Club hosted the Women’s Regional T20 domestic matches on Friday and Saturday following in the footsteps of their male counterparts who debuted with the inaugural Zim Cyber City Zim Afro T10 tournament in July.
The Southerns Women lined up against Northerns Women in the historic encounters with the former claiming early bragging rights under floodlights following their respective 10-wicket and five-wicket wins in the first and second matches.
“Playing under lights is a big moment for us. We have a couple of girls who played under lights in UAE and it would have been the first time playing under lights but for the rest of the girls an opportunity to play under lights is a significant moment for us,” Musonda told NewsDay Sport.
“Coming from watching other players, other highly-ranked teams playing under lights in the franchise leagues or in bilateral series’ or at world cups, it would be something that they would have admired and for it to happen now I think it’s something that is exciting. The girls were really happy about it and they performed well. It makes us feel like we are also moving with the times, moving with where the game is going, developing with the game as well. We are hoping to get more games under lights even to play One Dayers as well, day and night games.”
The women’s game though lacked the glitz and glamour as was the case with the men’s games. Musonda, however, is confident that soon the women’s game will be able to attract crowds.
“I think it is something that every athlete looks forward to entertain, have a following and to perform in front of thousands and thousands of people. I was watching the qualifiers and the T10 that just ended here in Harare; you can only imagine the buzz that would be in the stadium, in the ground,” she added.
“It’s something that I look forward to and hoping that one day will get such a crowd pool. Personally I don’t have a doubt within me that we will definitely get there. I think the girls have been performing really well and it should be a matter of time only now.”
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