ZIMBABWE are through to the Africa T20 Cup semi-finals in South Africa thanks to an elimination draw held in East London on Sunday. The elimination process was implemented after four matches in Pool C were abandoned without a ball being bowled following heavy rains that left the outfield at the coastal city’s Buffalo Park unplayable. The playing conditions of the Twenty20 competition dictate that in the event that four or more of the matches in a weekend are recorded as a “no result”, all matches played will be declared null and void.
Zimbabwe had lost to Free State by seven wickets in their opening Pool C match at Buffalo Park, but the emerging national side’s next two fixtures against Border on Saturday and Easterns on Sunday were washed out.
The Free State-Easterns and Border-Free State matches were also abandoned for the same reasons, necessitating Sunday’s elimination draw which was won by Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe’s team for the Africa T20 Cup is essentially an emerging national side that includes as many as six players who were part of the country’s team at the 2016 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
Stephen Mangongo is coaching the team.
The Africa T20 Cup, organised by Cricket South Africa, involves South African provincial teams and national representative sides from Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya.
The participating teams were drawn into four pools, with the group winners proceeding to the semi-finals scheduled for 30 September at a venue yet to be announced. — zimcricket