World Cup lights dim out on Baby Victoria Pearls

Team Uganda’s coaches Yusuf Nanga and Ivan Kakande were lost of words for the greater of the weekend as the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers wrapped up in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Baby Victoria Pearls’ quest for the lone ticket to Malaysia early next year folded meekly on a windy Saturday after they got humbled by Zimbabwe in a 75-run semi-final loss at the Gahanga International Stadium.

Nanga and an even more vocal Kakande ran out of batteries as the team’s strategy to reach the Qualifiers’ final for Sunday were unceremoniously buried

“They played better cricket,” Nanga admitted after Uganda had been bowled out for 63 runs in pursuit of a target of 139 runs. “Our girls failed to follow the plan and also failed to play under pressure,” he admitted.

Yet, Uganda had had a smooth run from Group A which they topped thanks to 46-run, nine-wicket and 49-run triumphs over Rwanda, Kenya and Namibia respectively.

But the sun set earlier than expected in Kigali for the Ugandan teenagers whose fan base had increased including some Cricket Cranes’ players like Pascal Murungi and Cosmas Kyewuta descending to the Rwanda capital for the weekend.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) first hosted the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in 2023 in South Africa but Uganda fell short to Rwanda in the Qualifier semi-final in Gaborone, Botswana in September, 2022.

In Kigali, it was a case of déjà vu when the bowling unit failed to contain Zimbabwe’s batters Kelis Ndhlovu (19 runs off 23 balls), Beloved Biza (30 off 36), Runyararo Pasipanodya (25 off 20) and Lorraine Pemhiwa (35* off 27) after Ndhlovu had opted to bat first.

Opening bowler Immaculate Nandera (0/22) was expensive, conceding 11 runs per over. Then, Irene Mutonyi’s breakthrough of 2/6 in three overs including dismissing Christine Mutasa and Passionate Munorwei successively in the fourth over seemed to bring things in control, just briefly.

Uganda’s best bowler Lorna Anyait this time got punished for an average 10 runs per over in a three-over spell of 0/31 and scalps for Asumin Akurut (2/24) and Patricia Timong (2/21) had little impact.

With the bat, the Achilles heel for Uganda’s cricket teams surfaced with ease, pressure engulfing grips of every batter on the day.

Uganda was 17-4 in 17.1 overs and while Nandera backed herself up with a respectable 30-ball 24 in company of Naome Amongin (14 off 24), their 30-run partnership for the fifth wicket just seemed not enough to alter the status quo.

Nanga and Kakande’s charge still could not wake up from slumber on Sunday, losing the third-place play-off battle to Rwanda by three wickets after laboring to set 71-10 in 19.4 overs.

Nigeria’s final against Zimbabwe was washed out on Sunday but the West African country qualified for Malaysia on grounds of having finished above their opponents in the group stage phase.

Another chance for a World Cup comes in two years and the wait leaves Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) with more work to do.

ICC UNDER-19 WOMEN’S T20 WORLD CUP

AFRICA QUALIFIERS – FINAL RESULT

Nigeria 77/8 Zimbabwe 19/1 (2.3 overs)

(No result, Nigeria won tournament as a result

of finishing above Zimbabwe in Group Stage)

THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF

Uganda 71/10 Rwanda 72/7

(Rwanda won by 3 wickets)

Zimbabwe 138/7 Uganda 63/10

(Zimbabwe won by 75 runs)

TEAM UGANDA’S COLLATED RESULTS

Uganda 128/6 Namibia 79/10

(Uganda won by 49 runs)

Kenya 37/10 Uganda 41/1

(Uganda won by 9 wickets)

Uganda 102/10 Rwanda 56/10

(Uganda won by 46 runs)

GROUP A STANDINGS

Team              Pld      W        L         NR      Pts       NRR

Uganda           3          3          0          0          6          2.760

Rwanda           3          2          1          0          4          0.400

Namibia           3          1          2          0          2          -0.620

Kenya              3          0          3          0          0          -2.659