Kelis Ndhlovu, the Zimbabwe opening batter, was taken from Dunedin’s University Oval ground to a local hospital after being struck by a Bree Illing bouncer during the second ODI between New Zealand and Zimbabwe on Sunday.
Ndhlovu had stitched together an opening partnership of 25 runs with Modester Mupachikwa when she ducked into the short delivery from Illing – she was wearing a helmet.
She collapsed on the ground immediately and received medical attention on the field. She was later taken to a hospital in an ambulance.
Tendai Makusha was Ndhlovu’s concussion substitute.
“We’ve received some good news. She’s responding now, which is really lovely to hear,” Kate Ebrahim, Zimbabwe’s interim head coach, said in the press conference after the game. “She’s just recovering and we’ll just see what the scans say and we’ll move on from there.”
Ebrahim mentioned that she had spoken to Mupachikwa after Ndhlovu had been taken off the field.
“We briefly touched on that… I just made sure that the other opener was in a position to sort of mentally carry on. She was right there with her. Yeah, so I just touched base, made sure she was okay. A few words for her and just make sure [we] keep going with Chipo [Mugeri-Tiripano, the next batter] when she came in and we just gather quickly as a team and just assist and… first I just checked on everyone because it can be quite a shock really, for everyone.”
New Zealand won the game by eight wickets, with Amelia Kerr starring with a seven-wicket haul, to take the ODI series 2-0 with one game left.
