In a nail-biting encounter, Victoria Pearls clinched a spot in the semifinals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers by defeating Namibia by four wickets. This crucial victory, their second in the tournament, propelled Uganda to the top of Group B.
Opting to bowl first after winning the toss, Uganda faced a formidable challenge as Namibia’s openers, Sune Wittman and Yasheemn Khan, built a solid opening stand of 35. However, Evelyn Anyipo’s breakthrough set the stage for Uganda to take control of the game.
Uganda’s slow bowlers, Consy Aweko (3/16) and Lorna Anyait (3/19), showcased their skills by taking wickets in regular intervals, restricting Namibia to a modest total of 92.
In response, Uganda navigated the run chase with caution, although the top order struggled to convert starts into significant scores. Rita Musamali (16), Kevin Awino (13), and Janet Mbabazi (15) all made contributions, but it was Captain Consy Aweko who led from the front, guiding her team to victory. The partnership between Aweko (5) and youngster Malisa Ariokot (9) ensured Uganda secured the win.
While the end of the match brought a bit of nervousness with 20 runs still needed for victory, Aweko and Ariokot’s partnership ensured Uganda’s triumph. With this win, Uganda claimed the top spot in Group B, setting the stage for an exciting final group match against Nigeria.
In the parallel match of the group, Nigeria secured a narrow victory against Rwanda by four runs on the DLS method. Rain interrupted play in the second innings, with Nigeria at 49/3 in pursuit of Rwanda’s target of 89 runs. The win sets the stage for an intense clash between Uganda and Nigeria in their final group match on Thursday.
