By Caroline Chepkorir

The five ODI series of the USA Women’s tour of Zimbabwe ended, and the Zimbabwe women emerged victorious in the series with a 3-2 lead.

In the final match, the USA won the toss and elected Zimbabwe women to bat first. Zimbabwe had a rough start as Sharne Mayers was caught by Ella Claridge for a duck off the bowling of Tara Norris in the first over.

The partnership between Modester Mupachikwa 59 off 78 balls with nine boundaries and Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano 60 off 68 balls with eight fours laid a strong foundation for the team. Captain Josphine Nkomo scored an undefeated 40 off 52 balls, which led her team to a total of 246/6 in their allotted 50 overs.

The USA chased the target of 247, and opener Chetna Pagydyala took charge and led her team. She smashed a quickfire undefeated 136 off 152 balls, which included 18 boundaries at a strike rate of 89.47. She also got support from Disha Dhingra, who knocked 34 off 45 balls. This laid a strong foundation for the USA.

Sindhu Sriharsha contributed 35 off 39 balls, which included two boundaries, which propelled the USA women to victory with 34 balls left in the final match of the series, and the USA defeated Zimbabwe by seven wickets. The 16-year-old Pagydyala scripted history with her performance.

“Chetna Reddy Pagydyala now holds the record for the highest individual score in WODI’s for the team USA Women,” posted USA Cricket on their social media page X.

In the fourth match of the series, Zimbabwe won by 18 runs by the DLS method. The Zimbabwe bat first, and they posted a competitive total of 250/5 in the 50 overs. Ashely Ndiraya contributed key 82 off 102 balls, and she laid the foundation for her team.

USA’s Tara Norris was the outstanding performer for her side, as she took three wickets for 55 runs, and she had support from Saanvi Immadi 1/25 from her 10 overs. However, the USA chased a revised target due to the DLS, and they scored 100/3 in their 26.1 overs.

The USA bounced back in the final match, and they ended the series on a high note thanks to Chetna Pagdyala’s contribution, and the series showcased how both teams were competitive.