TOP-order batter Alice Marongwe featured in all but two runs of Takashinga Queens’ total, guiding her side to a 157-run derby win against sister club RG Women Cricket Club in the Julia Chibhabha Women’s League encounter played at Old Hararians’ Sports Club B Field on Saturday.

Marongwe scored 111 runs off 112 balls, tearing the opponent apart in a 147-minute execution at the crease, accompanied by a plethora of boundaries – 13.

Takashinga Queens lost the toss and were put in to bat first, reaching 288/5 in their 40 overs. Marongwe featured in 286 of the team’s runs prior to her departure as the fifth wicket on 286 inside 39.4 overs, bowled by Beverly Machiha.

Adel Zimunu joined in the frenzy, scoring 85 off 91 deliveries, accounting for nine boundaries and a six. She was caught by Vimbai Kavava off the bowling of Tawananyasha Zvomarima, bringing to an end a decimating double-century third-wicket partnership that tore RG into pieces, yielding 213 runs. Zvomarima was RG’s prolific bowler, claiming two wickets for 39 runs from seven overs. Kavava and Machiha took a wicket each.

RG Women’s Cricket Club then toiled to 131 all out inside 37.2 overs. Top-order batter Chevaughn Ndoro top-scored with 22 off 52 balls in a patient knock as wickets kept falling around her. Vimbai Nyakudya scored 16, while captain and opener Portia Chihwai added 14, completing the list of RG batters who managed double figures.

Destroyers-in-chief were three-wicket heroines Vanessa Mayedza and Mitchel Mavunga, shedding 23 runs from eight overs and 10 from 2.2 overs, respectively. Equally destructive was the duo of Nokutenda Mukanhiwa and Betty Mangachena, who picked two wickets each.

This was Takashinga Queens’ second win in succession after their 278-run drubbing of Old Hararians Women earlier. Mavunga was the star of the show in that encounter with an unbeaten 103 off 54 balls, while Zimunu scored 50 off 55.

The win over their sister club sees them consolidate their position at the summit with four points, same as Gladiators Women. But Takashinga enjoys a superior net run rate of 5.438 to Gladiators’ 5.125. Glenshire Women are in third place with two points, OH Women in fourth with the same number of points, while White Rhinos Women and RG, yet to get off the mark, complete the log standings in their respective positions.