The Uganda women’s national cricket team, the Victoria Pearls, saw their unbeaten run at the 11th edition of the Kwibuka Women’s T20 Tournament come to an end on Wednesday after a nerve-wracking five-run loss to Nigeria at the Gahanga Main Oval in Kigali, Rwanda.
In a low-scoring thriller that swung back and forth, Nigeria held their nerve to defend a modest total of 73/9, bowling out Uganda for 68 runs in the final over to snatch a memorable victory and hand the Pearls their first loss of the campaign.
Uganda won the toss and opted to bowl first, making one change to their playing XI with Sarah Akiteng replacing Tino Sarah.
Their bowling attack quickly settled into rhythm, with Kevin Amuge claiming the opening breakthrough in the fifth over.
Veteran spinner Consy Aweko bowled a miserly spell that included a maiden, piling on the pressure.
But it was captain Janet Mbabazi who led from the front with a sensational performance in her milestone 100th WT20I appearance.
She picked up 4 wickets for 16 runs in four overs, helping restrict Nigeria’s scoring. However, a composed 33 off the bat of Amusa Kehinde proved crucial for Nigeria, as she stood firm while wickets tumbled at the other end.
Kehinde’s knock, the only innings to reach double figures, eventually guided Nigeria to a fighting total of 73 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs.
Chasing a seemingly manageable target, Uganda never found rhythm with the bat. Opener Esther Iloku top-scored with 15, but the rest of the batting order struggled under pressure.
Mbabazi’s early dismissal for 5 was a major blow, and despite flashes of resistance from Proscovia Alako and Rita Musamali, the middle order collapsed under Nigeria’s tight bowling.
Kevin Awino’s LBW dismissal in the 19th over left Uganda needing six runs from the last 12 balls with only one wicket remaining.
But the tension proved too much. Nigeria closed out the game with two consecutive maiden overs, claiming the final four Ugandan wickets in that dramatic spell and sealing the win with one ball to spare.
Amusa Kehinde was named Player of the Match for her all-round performance, contributing 33 runs and returning tidy bowling figures of 1 for 16 in four overs.
Anointed Ozemoya Akhigbe also starred with the ball, taking 3 for 11 in a match-winning spell.
Speaking after the match, Uganda head coach Deus Muhumuza expressed disappointment at the result, acknowledging the ranking implications of the loss but also seeing it as an opportunity for reflection.
“It’s disappointing that we lost. A defeat to Nigeria means losing ranking points, but I hope this serves as a wake-up call. We didn’t execute our plans well in the chase, but we’ll regroup and look to bounce back stronger against Rwanda tomorrow.”
Uganda will now face tournament hosts Rwanda in their final group stage match on Thursday, June 12, at Gahanga B Oval.
Victory will be crucial for the Victoria Pearls as they aim to finish strong and build momentum heading into the knockout stage.
