Zambia beat Malawi by 47 runs in their T20I clash as part of the Three Nations tournament in Malawi on Friday. The visitors finished on 180 while the hosts could only manage 133, leaving Zambia at the top of the table with seven points from five games.
And here's the thing — Malawi had been building momentum before this one. They'd beaten Zambia earlier in the series 151 to 101, then followed it with a narrow 112-113 loss to Rwanda and a comfortable 101-75 victory over the same opposition. They came into this match knowing they could go top.
To be fair, the scoreboard tells a different story now. Zambia sit two points clear at the summit, while Malawi remain third with five points after three defeats. The gap matters more than the margin on the board.
By then, Zambia had shown they could handle pressure. Their last match was a 131-130 thriller against Rwanda — won by a single run — and before that a 151-143 victory over the same side. They'd also lost 101-151 to Malawi earlier in the series, so this win felt like redemption.
Malawi's recent form has been uneven. They won one of their last five, lost three, and drew none. The 111-108 victory over Seychelles and the 77-75 win against Eswatini in March showed they could close out tight games, but consistency remains the question.
Zambia's run of wins puts them in a stronger position going forward. Three victories from five means they've played the tournament a man up mentally, even if the points table suggests otherwise. Malawi will need to find another gear if they want to catch up.