The Victoria Pearls gave it everything but it just wasn’t enough.
In one of the most dramatic matches of the Capricorn Eagles Series so far, Namibia Women squeezed past Uganda by a single run in Windhoek, taking a 3–2 lead in the six-match T20I series and setting up a nail-biting decider on Tuesday afternoon.
Namibia, choosing to bat first for the third time in a row, found themselves in early trouble. Uganda’s bowlers came out sharp, dismissing three batters in the powerplay and restricting the hosts to just 35/4 after 10 overs.
But the game changed when Mekelaye Mwatile stepped in. Calm under pressure, she anchored Namibia’s innings with a brilliant unbeaten 60 off 49 balls. Her late surge helped the hosts post a fighting total of 126/6—an impressive recovery after a slow start.
Uganda began their chase with purpose. Although debutant Shakira Saddick fell early, Esther Iloku (41) and Janet Mbabazi (44) steadied the innings and had Uganda cruising at 73/1 at the halfway mark. Victory looked within reach.
However, Namibia’s bowlers tightened the screws in the final overs. Uganda lost wickets at crucial moments and their middle order cracked under pressure. With two runs needed off the final two balls, Namibia held their nerve to bowl out Uganda for 125 with one ball to spare.
