The men’s cricket team scooped a gold medal at the African Games after beating Namibia by eight wickets in the final yesterday.
It was Zimbabwe’s 11th medal at the Games and third in the gold section.
Zimbabwe has managed a clean sweep of gold medals in cricket at the Games after the Lady Chevrons won one as the sport made its debut at the continental championships.
Swimmer Denilson Cyprianos won the country’s first gold medal in the Men’s 200m Backstroke at the African Games exactly two weeks ago.
The country has also managed four silver medals and four bronze medals at the event which came to a close yesterday.
In the cricket decider batsman Tadiwanashe Marumani was the player of the match after he struck a 40-ball 58 to help Zimbabwe chase a modest target of 114 to win with relative ease.
Marumani managed three sixes and six boundaries as Zimbabwe got to the target in 14.5 overs, with 31 balls to spare.
Rodney Mafudza who opened the batting with Marumani contributed 24 runs from 25 balls while Johnathan Campbell who scored the winning runs finished with 23 runs from 24 balls.
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Namibia won the toss and opted to bat first but the decision seemed to backfire after they lost dangerman Niko Davin with the fifth ball of the inning for 1 run after he was run out by Bennett.
Gerhard Janse Van Rensburg soon followed in the third over again for 1, cleanbowled by Wallace Mubaiwa.
Wicketkeeper Jeane Pierre Kotz (26) appeared to have brought the Namibian inning on track after a 36-run partnership with opener Malan Kruger (22) but he was caught by Clive Madande off the bowling of Tony Munyonga in the 9th over with the scores on 41 for 3.
Kruger went in the 11 over giving Marumani a catch from the bowling of Owen Muzondo.
A mini revival of the Namibian innings saw top scorer Dylan Leitcher (29) team up with Jan Balt (18) to add another 41 runs before the former was removed by Trevor Gwandu with the scores on 100 for 5.
Namibia could only add 13 more runs for the loss of two wickets to finish on 113 for 7.
In the chase a 55-run opening stand between Marumani and Mupfudza reduced the workload for Zimbabwe.
Marumani also starred in another 56 run second wicket partnership with Campbell before he was dismissed by Peter-Danies Blignaut with three runs needed for a historic African Games gold medal.
Madande contributed 1 run, not out, in Zimbabwe’s run chase.
The Chevrons squad for the Africa Games was largely made up of players under the age of 25.
