Uganda braced for Namibia in opener
The eight Lady captains whose teams will take part in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier.
What you need to know:
- Many things are quite new around the set-up with a new coach; Suraj Karavadra and assistant in Alpha Adowa alongside a handful of rookies getting their first bite at the cherry that is international cricket.
Rebranded from being called the Lady Cricket Cranes to the Victoria Pearls on Monday this week, a new dawn for the national women’s cricket team bowls off in earnest this morning at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s Twenty20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in Botswana, Gaborone.
Many things are quite new around the set-up with a new coach; Suraj Karavadra and assistant in Alpha Adowa alongside a handful of rookies getting their first bite at the cherry that is international cricket. Immaculate Nakisuyi is also have her first stint as captain since replacing wicket-keeper Kevin Awino.
Long wait over
Having missed out on the 2021 Kwibuka Women’s T20 International Tournament in Kigali due to a breach in the team’s Bio-Security Bubble, this is bound to be a tough first outing since the coronavirus took the world by storm and halted all sporting activities at the end of 2019.
The women’s last piece of action was at the Victoria Series hosted in Kampala where they surrendered the title to the reigning regional queens Zimbabwe.
Karavadra brings an aura of confidence in the set-up being the first non-East African tactician Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) have hired as they went for the jugular to ensure Uganda return to the helm of the continent as African champions – a bragging right they enjoyed in 2017.
“We want and are going to play flamboyant cricket,” 30-year-old Karavadra, a British-Indian tactician, said about his new-look Victoria Pearls team.
“We have a good quality of a bit of all in the squad with power-hitters, fast bowlers and spinners. Our fielding is also agile and T20 is all about that.”
Rookies & big names
The quarter of Soroti-bred Proscovia Alako, Esther Ilukor, Evelyn Anyipo and Ireno Alumo will be making their debuts at an ICC event alongside Kampala-based Patricia Malemikia, who is a brother to Cricket Cranes international Richard Agamire.
And they will want to hit the ground running against a seasoned Namibian side that is captained by all-rounder Irene van Zyl and has the fearless trio of Sune Wittmann, Yasmeen Khan and Wilka Mwatile in their ranks.
“We are good to go. We know what is at stake,” said van Zyl, whose side toppled Uganda at the last ICC tournament. The Victoria Pearls must top the 11-team championship which also them against Cameroon, Nigeria and Sierra Leone in Group B. The top two nations will play in the semifinals to earn a spot in the coveted final.
The winner of the final will advance to the Global Qualifier in Zimbabwe this November from which they will get a clear view to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup due 2023 in South Africa.
UG PROBABLE XI
Rachel Ntono, Proscovia
Alako, Damalie Busingye, Ritah Musamali,
Naomi Kayondo,
Esther Ilukor, Stephanie
Nampiina,
Immaculate Nakisuyi
(Captain), Janet Mbabazi
(Assistant Captain), Evelyn
Anyipo, Consy Aweko. 12th
Woman: Irene Alumo
TODAY’S FIXTURES
GROUP B - GABORONE OVAL 2
10.30am: Namibia vs. Uganda
3.30pm: Sierra Leone vs. Nigeria
GROUP A – GABARONE OVAL 1
10.15am: Rwanda vs. Mozambique
3.15pm: Eswatini vs. Botswana
