Zimbabwe’s Anesu Mushangwe wins Australia’s Women’s BBL title with Adelaide Strikers

BY AGENCIES

ADELAIDE, Australia – Former Zimbabwean bowler Anesu Mushangwe won for the second time the Australian Weber Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) on Saturday. The bowler played an instrumental role in helping her team, Adelaide Strikers, defend their WBBL title after defeating Brisbane Heat by three runs in a tightly-contested final on in Adelaide.

She is the first Zimbabwean cricket player to win the WBBL title in Australia.

Anesu Mushangwe wins Australia Women's Weber BBL title with Adelaide Strikers

Image: ESPNCricInfo

Batting first, Adelaide Strikers managed to reach a score of 125/5. Laura Wolvaardt was significant in Strikers’ innings, as she scored the most runs (39), while Tahlia McGrath added 38.

Nicola Hancock took three wickets for Brisbane Heat.

Brisbane Heat came close to a victory in this fiercely-contested affair; and the three-run margin says it all. Leg-spinner Amanda-Jade Wellington bowled a tight last over—as she gave away only 12 runs and took two wickets.

Mushangwe did not get to bat, but she showed her skills on the field with the ball. Though wicket-less, she bowled three overs, giving away only 21 runs.

Mushangwe has been a regular member of the Zimbabwe women’s team, also known as the Lady Chevrons, since 2019.

She is the joint second-highest wicket-taker for her country in T20Is, with 33 scalps. She shares this record with Precious Marange, another talented bowler.

This Anesu Mushangwe’s second time winning the Australian Women’s Weber BBL title with Adelaide Strikers.

Strikers won the title last year, although she did not feature in the final.

Mushangwe no longer plays for the Lady Chevrons; a position she left to pursue a career in Australia.

The Women’s Big Bash League (known as the WBBL and, for sponsorship reasons, the Weber WBBL) is the biggest Australian women’s domestic Twenty20 cricket competition.

The T20 tournament features eight city-based franchises, branded identically to the men’s Big Bash League.

Teams are comprised of current and former Australian national team members, the country’s top young talent, and up to three overseas marquee players. And this is how we have Mushangwe being part of the winning Adelaide Strikers.

(A marquee player is an athlete who is considered to be highly sought after, skilled, or otherwise outstanding, in professional sports. Marquee players are selected in the marquee draft before the roster draft.)