It Is A Dream Start For Rwanda At ICC Women Qualifiers In Zimbabwe

The women national cricket team made a perfect solid start to the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s qualifiers, Africa 2019 as they defeated Nigeria by 37 runs in their opening game in the ongoing games in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Courageous Rwanda upset Nigeria, with some late-order batting thanks in part to Henriette Ishimwe’s 27, which saw them manage a tricky 102 for six for Nigeria to try and chase down.

Tenacious fielding from Rwanda saw to it that four run outs were executed. That was good enough for a 37 run victory, for the happiest of first day upsets.

Dian Dusabemungu produced 20 runs off 34 balls. Sifa Ingabire and Antoinette Uwimbabazi snapped up 12/27 and 10/13, respectively.

Nigeria lost two quick wickets of Blessing Nwobodo 1 (4) and Agatha Obulor 5 (10) after 5 overs.

Joy Efosa picked Nigeria’s high score of 19 runs off 25 balls and Oyewole Oyronke managed 13 runs off 20 balls.

Overall, it was a pretty good workout for Rwandan ladies in the first match of the qualifiers.

Hosts Zimbabwe made the perfect as they defeated Mozambique by 163 runs in their opening game. It was a task that was easily beyond a young Mozambique side, and not a single batter reached double figures in the chase in a fast start to the competition for the favourites in Group A.

Meanwhile, defending champions Uganda also made a fine star, as they defeated Sierra Leone by 90 runs in Group B.

Zimbabwe tops Group B with a net rate run of 8.150, Rwanda is second with the with 1.079 net rate run. Nigeria and Mozambique are third and fourth respectively.

Uganda tops Group B with a higher net run of 4.500 followed by Namibia, Kenya and Sierra Leon. The group winners at the end of the week will contest the final, where the winner will seal passage to the Global Qualifiers.

Scores in brief:

Group A
Rwanda v Nigeria
Rwanda 102 for six (H Ishimwe 27)
Nigeria 65 all out
Rwanda won by 37 runs
Zimbabwe v Mozambique

Zimbabwe 198 for three (S Mayers 62, C Mugeri 37 not out)
Mozambique 35 all out (A Mazvishaya two for 5, J Nkomo two for 7)
Zimbabwe won by 163 runs

Group B
Uganda v Sierra Leone
Uganda 143 for two (D Busingye 65 not out, N Bagenda 34)
Sierra Leone 53 all out (C Aweko four for 6, I Nakisuuyi three for 14)
Uganda won by 90 runs

Namibia v Kenya
Namibia 117 for six (A van de Merwe 25, S Wittmann 25, M Ochieng three for 11)
Kenya 78 all out (D Njoroge 18, I van Zyl two for 9)

Namibia won by 39 runs