Jahzara Claxton's unbeaten 31 and 2/16, Karishma Ramharack's 3/17 and a West Indies record four catches from Afy Fletcher set up an eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the first T20I in Harare.
West Indies Women opened their tour of Zimbabwe with an eight-wicket win in the first T20I at the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare on 3 October, chasing down 98 with 43 balls to spare. Jahzara Claxton made an unbeaten 31 and took 2 for 16 to earn player of the match, while Afy Fletcher claimed a West Indies record four catches. West Indies chose to bowl first and now lead the three-match series 1-0.
| Match at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Result | West Indies Women won by 8 wickets (43 balls remaining) |
| Venue | Takashinga Sports Club, Harare |
| Date | 3 October 2026 |
| Zimbabwe Women | 97/9 (20 overs) |
| West Indies Women | 98/2 (12.5 overs) |
| Top performers | Jahzara Claxton 31* and 2/16; Karishma Ramharack 3/17; Afy Fletcher 2/18 and four catches |
| Series | West Indies lead 1-0 (three matches) |
Zimbabwe tied down
West Indies kept Zimbabwe on a leash from the start. The hosts were 40 for 3 at the halfway stage and never found any momentum: their innings contained more than 60 dot balls and only seven fours. Ramharack struck twice to begin the squeeze, Fletcher bowled Modester Mupachikwa to leave Zimbabwe 41 for 4, and the spinners kept the pressure on through the middle overs. Beloved Biza top-scored with 21 off 24, and her 24-run fifth-wicket stand with captain Josephine Nkomo was the highest of the innings. Ten extras, eight of them wides, were the only blip on an otherwise tight bowling display.
The record catches
Fletcher did as much with her hands as with the ball. Her four catches are the most taken by a West Indies fielder in a T20I, and every one of them dismissed a Zimbabwe batter. She also took 2 for 18 with the ball, while Ramharack finished as the pick of the attack with 3 for 17.
A gentle chase
The chase was never in doubt. West Indies were 12 for 0 after two balls, helped by a six from Eboni Brathwaite and six wides from Kudzai Chigora. Brathwaite made 23 off 14 before falling, and Realeanna Grimmond took over with 34 off 25, striking five fours and a six. Claxton was the calm presence alongside her and finished unbeaten on 31, picking up pace late in the chase. Grimmond fell with the scores level, and Stafanie Taylor hit the winning run off the only ball she faced.
Draft the all-rounder
This is the BuildXI lesson of the night: the player who shapes both innings shapes the game. You spin eleven real IPL squads from 2008 to 2025, take one player from each, and play a full season with the XI you end up with. A pick who bowls four tight overs and then anchors the chase is worth two picks in one slot. The target is 14-0: fourteen league games, fourteen wins.