Navicha Collects Second Player Of The Match Award As Mozambique Edge Zambia

MOZAMBIQUE were seven wickets down and still needed 28 runs from 17 balls when Agostinho Navicha was caught off Javid Patel in the 18th over.

Lourenço Simango and Gomes Gomes needed only 11 deliveries to get those runs, pulling off a three-wicket victory over Zambia with an over to spare at NCF Oval 2 in Abuja on Sunday.

The win brought Mozambique’s campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C to a close, with Navicha collecting his second Player of the Match award of the tournament.

His 41 from 47 balls, featuring two fours and a six, had kept Mozambique in the contest after their chase of 110 fell apart in the opening seven overs.

Navicha also picked up the award against Gambia on Wednesday after scoring an unbeaten 61. He finished the tournament with 124 runs.

This time, however, it was Simango who had to finish the job.

With Mozambique on 82 for seven, Simango took charge of the chase, finishing unbeaten on 25 from 17 balls, including a four and two sixes.

Gomes, who had replaced Lourenco Salomone at the start of the innings, remained unbeaten on two as Mozambique reached 110 for seven in 19 overs.

The finish was a long way from what Mozambique’s batting had promised early in the chase.

Vieira Tembo departed in the opening over, caught behind by Musonda Yambayamba off Soeb Pendi.

Ismail Kara then bowled Jose Bulele for a duck and Joao Hou for 14, while Pendi removed Farruque Nhaduate for seven.

When Javid Patel dismissed Jose Joao with a return catch in the seventh over, Mozambique were 34 for five.

Navicha had barely settled in before he was left trying to rescue an innings that was already five wickets down.

He added 23 with Camate Roposo, who made five before being caught behind off Zahirbhai Patel.

Navicha then put on another 25 with Simango, taking Mozambique to 82 before Javid Patel struck again.

The dismissal left Zambia needing just three wickets, with Mozambique still 28 runs short.

Simango had other ideas.

He took the attack to Zambia’s bowlers in the closing overs, finding the boundaries Mozambique had struggled to produce for much of the chase.

Gomes stayed with him, and the pair knocked off the remaining runs without another wicket falling.

Pendi finished with two for 13 from four overs, while Kara took two for 21 from three. Javid Patel returned two for 23 from four overs.

Earlier, Mozambique had won the toss and asked Zambia to bat.

Zambia’s openers put on 34 in four overs before Charles Mbebe had Shadreck Malama caught behind by Nhaduate for 10.

Kara, who had opened the batting, made a brisk 24 from 15 balls, striking five fours before Simango had him caught by Roposo.

At 38 for two, Zambia still had the chance to build a useful total, but the innings quickly unravelled.

Jakir Patel was run out for three, while Roposo had Vasimakram Chand caught behind for the same score.

Tembo then struck twice in successive deliveries at the end of the 10th over, having Zakir Husain Patel caught by Emerson Ndzeute before trapping Ayaz Dadabhai lbw first ball.

Robert Lungu was run out for seven in the following over, leaving Zambia on 59 for seven.

From 34 without loss, they had lost seven wickets for just 25 runs.

Roposo bowled Zahirbhai Patel for six, and Tembo removed Yambayamba for a duck to leave Zambia on 78 for nine in the 16th over.

Mozambique appeared set to dismiss their opponents for fewer than 100, but Zambia captain Javid Patel and Pendi refused to give up the final wicket.

Javid finished unbeaten on 26 from 21 balls, while Pendi made 17 not out from 15 deliveries.

Their unbroken 31-run partnership lifted Zambia to 109 for nine from 20 overs, giving their bowlers something to defend.

Tembo returned three for 22 from four overs, while Roposo conceded just 11 runs in his four overs and took two wickets.

Mbebe and Simango claimed one wicket each.

Zambia’s late recovery nearly proved enough when Mozambique slumped to 34 for five and later 82 for seven.

But Navicha’s 41 kept the chase within reach, and Simango made sure the work was not wasted.

Both teams finished the tournament with two wins from five matches.

Mozambique’s victories came against Gambia and Zambia, while Zambia beat Lesotho and Gambia.

Tanzania’s Adil Kassam and Nigeria’s Habib Enesi stood as the on-field umpires, with Kehinde Olanbiwonnu serving as reserve umpire and South Africa’s Shandre Fritz as match referee.