Kenya win Kwibuka T20 women’s tournament

Kenya win Kwibuka T20 women’s event

JOHANNESBURG, June 15 (ANA) – The Kwibuka T20 women’s tournament wrapped up in Rwanda this past weekend with Kenya emerging as the winners after beating Namibia in the final.

Saturday’s decider produced a tense finish as pre-tournament favourites Namibia stumbled for the first time and Sarah Wetoto became just the seventh woman to take a six-wicket haul in T20 Internationals.

The event hosted yearly as part of a Rwandan memorial week for the 1994 genocide, brings together various African countries each year and is seen by organisers as a vehicle for bringing people together and fostering understanding across the region.

Electing to bat, the three-time champions Kenya struck early to remove the in-form Namibian top order – first with a direct hit to run out opener Adri van der Merwe in the second over as she was a little sluggish to take off from a push into the offside, then next over a shorter ball from Lavendah Idambo cramped Sune Wittmann and she cross-batted a regulation chance to midwicket.

With the top run-scorer for the tournament gone, Namibia looked to Yasmeen Khan, third on the list, to rebuild with Kayleen Green. The pair had mustered the makings of a fightback with a 26-run stand, but Khan was out miscuing a drive from Melvin Idambo straight up in the air to mid-off, then Green sliced a sharp chance to Sarah Wetoto at cover, who took a smart catch falling forward to leave the favourites wobbling at 42/4.

The rest of the innings was the Wetoto show, as she bamboozled the exposed Namibian middle and lower order with her looping off-spin. Wetoto grabbed three wickets in her first over – Didi Foerster, who was furious after top-edging a sweep shot to short backward square off an eminently hittable full toss, Wilka Mwatile, who feathered an edge through to the keeper, and the captain Irene van Zyl, who looked bemused as she played around a dipping, flighted delivery and was rapped on the back pad.

Namibia had crumbled to 47/7 at the halfway stage. Sylvia Shihepo provided most of the remaining resistance, with 16 not out as she got the pitch of Wetoto a little better than her colleagues and launched a pair of boundaries through midwicket, but there was no stopping Sarah. Edelle van Zyl was bowled as she played around one, Merczerly Gorases holed out to deep square leg and Victoria Hamunyela chipped an easy grab to point, leaving Namibia with just 69 runs to defend, and Wetoto with her career-best figures of 6/16.

In response, the Namibian bowlers fought gamely to keep Kenya in check, with Kayleen Green getting Veronica Abuga out chipping to cover, and Wilka Mwatile grabbing the big wicket of Queentor Abel (Kenya’s top scorer, second overall for the tournament, and the eventual Player of the Series) as she was cramped for room and edged through to Khan behind the stumps.

Victoria Hamunyela chipped in with the scalp of Sharon Juma, struck directly in front going for the slog sweep, and adjudged lbw, but Kenya were carried by an authoritative knock of 37* (30) from skipper Margaret Ngoche, including taking 16 off her opposite number Irene van Zyl to seal the match in the 11th over.

In a forgettable conclusion to the decider, van Zyl overpitched and was slapped over cover to the rope, then fed Ngoche a full toss which was dispatched through midwicket, and then ended the over with another half-volley which Ngoche thrashed back over the bowler’s head for the first six of the innings as Kenya cruised to victory just 3 wickets down and with 54 deliveries to spare.

As the late entrants Kenya danced off the field with their fourth Kwibuka title, Namibia were left to rue the Wetoto-induced collapse that saw them drop their first match of the event.

Throughout the week the Capricorn Eagles had built strong momentum with easy victories over Nigeria, Rwanda, Botswana, and Kenya in the group stages, before thrashing Nigeria in the semi-final. Kenya were similarly dominant aside from the blip against Namibia where Victoria Hamunyela tore through their middle order, and a comprehensive win over Rwanda in the semi-final underlined their class despite being late entrants to the tournament.

As hosts, Rwanda will be disappointed they were unable to overturn the top sides, their batting especially failing to support some strong efforts with the ball, but a third-place finish after beating Nigeria in the playoff was a decent consolation to go with the satisfaction of successfully hosting the biggest African women’s cricket event since 2019’s ICC African Qualifiers.

First-timers Botswana and Nigeria meanwhile leave with much to think about, the Nigerians especially displaying glimpses of potential but ultimately unable to convert their good moments into really pushing the higher-ranked nations. – African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Michael Sherman