Nigeria Beat Rwanda to Rekindle Cricket WCQ Hope

Nigeria and Rwanda rekindled their cricketing rivalry with Game 7 Match-day 4 of the ongoing International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in Uganda. 

Coming from a loss in their previous Group B games, either side needed a victory to keep their semifinals qualification hopes alive. 

Rwanda would go into the game five places ranked ahead of Nigeria but with relatively equal strength, it was expected to be a nerve-wrecking game, but the rain in Entebbe would again have a say.

 Captain Diane Bimenyimana won the toss for Rwanda and elected to bat first. The East African side struggled to get runs on the board as Nigeria displayed exceptional bowling albeit some misfielding. 

Batting all-rounder and usual suspects Henriette Ishimwe 4(8) and namesake Gisele 3(8) were tamed as only opener Mervielle Uwase 14(23)and Biemenyimana 17(27)made significant contributions to the score board as Nigeria looked to be behind the wheels, after limiting the 25th ranked team to 88/9 in 20 overs.

 Nigeria’s Peculiar Agboya was instrumental to Rwanda’s woes with her bowling statistics of 3/13 (4). 

A seemingly slow start for the West Africans in the chase, considering Rwanda’s bowling prowess, as opener and big hitter Salome Sunday would be gone for a duck in the first over.

Favour Eseigbe 7(13)would exit in the fourth over leaving  Agboya 19(17) as the only double figures  and breakthrough for Captain Blessing Etim’s side, eventually emerging victorious by 3 runs. 

Player of the Match, Agboya, whose contributions in both innings earned her the award, thanked her teammates for the support.

“Thanks to my teammates I was able to achieve this. Hopefully, we will continue to get better as we progress in the game,” she said.

Having lost their first game to Namibia by 9 runs, Nigeria will face Uganda on Thursday in the last group game.