Friday, September 17
*Uganda Vs Zimbabwe
*Namibia Vs Tanzania
Uganda Women’s national Cricket team, the Victoria Pearls, are confident ahead of their titanic clash with Zimbabwe in the 2021 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier on Friday.
The Victoria Pearls will be seeking for a place in the final as the top team progresses (tournament champion) will progress to the 2022 ICC Women’s World T20 Qualifier tournament.
Uganda who are under coach Suraj Karavadra, finished second in Group B to clinch a spot in the semis.
“The advantage we have is that Zimbabwe don’t want to play us because we have beatem them in past,” said coach Kuravadra. “And unfortunately, they (Zimbabwe) have a couple of players who picked up injuries so they are probably on the back foot.”
“We have won three games on the bounce so we are very confident.
“I still back our selves, we have got the best bowling department out of the teams here, we have good fast bowlers and spinners in our team. That’s the edge we have.
“We struggled with our batters at the start to click in but we can go all the way through. We are going to play it like a final and that is the fire we are going to take.”
Uganda opened their campaign with a 4-run loss against Namibia but have since bounced back with wins over Nigeria, cameroon and Sierra Leone.
The girls have put up commendable displays but work is half way done and they will have to double their efforts as the tournament reaches its business end.
Besides the opening loss to Namibia, Uganda’s other low came against Cameroon where four batsmen (read batswomen) – Kevin Awino, Rita Musamali, Immaculate Nakisuyi and Janet Mbabazi – were all eliminated by mankind by Cameroon’s Maeva Douma.
There have been some individual brilliance including Musamali’s 59 runs in that win over Cameroon and Stephanie Nampiina’s 3-wicket overhaul in a 3-18 show in the win over Sierra Leone.
Nakisuyi is averaging 26 runs while experienced 30-year old Consy Aweko has picked six wickets altogether, among other big performers.
Zimbabwe is among the tournament favourites and have managed to live up to the task.
The Lady Chevrons topped Group A with five wins from as many games, proving too good against Tanzania, Rwanda, Botswana, Mozambique and Eswatin.
Their duo of Modester Mupachikwa and Ashley Rutendo Ndiraya have laid claim to being the best performers of the tournament so far and will look to cause Uganda all sorts of problems.
