Match summary
•Uganda 98/5 (20 Overs)
Namibia 96/6(20 Overs)
- Uganda won by two runs.
Uganda’s Victoria Pearls bowled off the Capricorn Eagles Series with a resounding two wicket win against hosts Namibia on Tuesday at the High performance Oval.
Uganda lost the toss as they elected to bat first and found themselves in early trouble,
struggling to 19/1 by the end of the power play and 31/3 at the halfway mark of the innings.
The early dismissals of Janet Mbabazi (5) and Immaculate Nakisuuyi (0) put Uganda under pressure. However, a crucial fourth wicket stand between Esther Iloku (47 off 54 balls) and Stephanie Nampiina (33) steadied the ship.
The duo combined for a 56-run fourth wicket partnership that lifted Uganda to a defendable 98/5 in 20 overs, despite a tidy spell from Namibia’s Wilka Mwatile, who finished with figures of 2/16 in 4 overs.
Pivotal stages
Namibia’s chase began confidently, posting nine runs in the opening over. But Uganda struck back, claiming wickets at regular intervals to stifle the run flow. Namibia’s Manuel Bianca (20) and
Wilka (18) offered resistance, but both were run out at pivotal stages of the chase.
With Namibia needing 10 runs off the final over, tension reached fever pitch. After a no-ball on the last delivery allowed Namibia to reduce the equation to 4 runs off the final ball, Uganda held their nerve to seal a memorable win by just two runs.
Uganda’s bowling unit was led by Sarah Akiteng, whose masterful spell of 3/6 in 4 overs at an economy rate of just 1.5 proved decisive. Her contribution, along with sharp spells from Consy Aweko (0/11 in 4) and Nakisuuyi (0/24 in 4), anchored Uganda’s defence.
Despite narrowly missing out on a half-century, Esther Iloku was named Player of the Match for her match-winning knock.
Both teams displayed solid fielding performances, with Namibia’s Arrasta Diergaardt drawing applause for a stunning catch. Uganda’s players and staff extended gratitude to their fans following
the match for their continued support from home.
The Victoria Pearls will return to action tomorrow in the second T20I against Namibia, with the match scheduled for 3:00 PM EAT at the same venue.
