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Sports Reporter

A three-wicket haul by Josephine Nkomo helped the Zimbabwe women’s cricket team to a 35-run victory over Papua New Guinea in the third and final One Day International at Harare Sports Club yesterday.

The victory earned the Lady Chevrons a 3-0 series whitewash and maintain their momentum heading into the all-important T20 format this weekend.

Put into bat first, after the Papua New Guinea skipper won the toss, the ‘Golden girls’ made 184 runs marshalled by the returning Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano’s second half-century of the series.

Four changes were made by coach Walter Chawaguta as Tiripano, Audrey Mazvishaya, Loreen Tshuma and Nomvelo Sibanda, came in for usual Lady Chevrons’ skipper Mary Anne Musonda, Sharne Mayers, Francesca Chipare, and Kudzai Chigora.

However, yesterday’s win was about the Tiripano and Nkomo show.

First up was the 32-year-old all-rounder Tiripano, whose 52 runs off 60 balls anchored Zimbabwe’s innings as they were out for 184 runs in 46.4 overs.

The hosts maintained their form as five batters made double-digits figures.

Openers Kelis Ndhlovu (34) and Modester Mupachikwa (13) got the ball rolling with a quick fire 43-run opening stand off 69 balls.

Papua New Guinea’s Isable Toua broke that stand when she bowled out Mupachikwa after making only 13 runs off 30 balls.

Tiripano walked onto the crease and, together with Ndhlovu, added just 29 runs for the second wicket before the latter got trapped leg-before-wicket by PNG’s Dika Lohia.

Pellagia Mujaji and Chiedza Dhururu made quick-fire cameos and helped Tiripano push the score further with 26 runs off 60 balls and 29 runs off 39 balls respectively.

The top and middle order ensured that Zimbabwe put up a defendable and meaningful 184 runs on the board despite.

Sibona Jimmy finished as the pick of the Oceania bowlers, finishing with figures of four wickets for 22 while Vicky Araa and Lohia chipped in with two wickets apiece.

To their credit, Papua New Guinea did make a contest out of their run chase, matching Zimbabwe pound for pound.

Jimmy complemented her four wickets with a half-century of her own which saw the all-rounder make 57 runs off 91 balls.

She found helpers in the form of Tanya Ruma, Pauke Siaka and Lakshmi Rajadurai who made 13, 24 and 16 runs respectively.

However, the visitors were never on top of the required run rate and saw wickets fall at regular intervals on their way to 149 runs all out.  Nkomo finished as the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers with three wickets for 20 runs while Nomvelo Sibanda chipped in with her own two wickets for 16 runs.

The trio Audrey Mazvishaya, Ndhlovu and Loryn Phiri all had a scalp each.

With the ODI series done, the two sides are expected to clash yet again in a three-match T20 series.  The three matches are slated for March 30, 31 and April 2 at Harare Sports Club.