By Denis Musali
Match Summary
Uganda Women 100/5 (Immaculate Nakisuyi 30, Damalie Busingye 18) Kenya Women 96/7 (Consy Aweko 4/12)
Uganda Women won by 5 runs
With seven runs needed for the win, Kevin Awino tossed the ball to her most trusted bowler Consy Aweko and she lived up to her reputation as the go to bowler of the team. In a game that swung for both sides till the end there was little to seperate the Eastafrican neighbours, Uganda won the toss and chose to bat 1st the 3rd toss that Kevin Awino has won at the tournament.
Kenya planned to use slow bowlers from the get go and this decision proved a wise one as Edith Waithaka and Mercyline Adhiambo gave away only 21 runs in the 1st 8 overs picking up the wickets of Rachel Ntono who has was bowled by Mercyline and the on form Naomi Kayondo was trapped LBW by Edith.
Damalie Busingye and Janet Mbabazi were bogged down by the slow bowlers and failed to keep the score board ticking moving at just about three runs an over which created some panic in the Ugandan dug out. Immaculate Nakisuyi (30) was the heroine of the Ugandan innings as she took on the Kenyan bowlers with some nasty blows that accelerated the score, Rita Musamali and Stephanie Nampiina adding some extras at the death to put on a respectable 100/5 in 20 overs.
In the chase Uganda read from the script as Kenya and decided to use its slow bowlers to keep the Kenyan openers silent which worked for the 1st six overs till Veronica Abuga (27) decided to let loose. She accelerated the score with Slyvia Kinyua (40) to put on an opening stand of 48 till Consy Aweko snared the wicket of Abuga to to stop the flow of runs.
Slyvia Kinyua hustled hard for her team anchoring the innings while the others played around her, but with the asking rate going up after every over Kenya pushed the panic button and lost some crucial wickets that slowed down the to bring the equation to 17 required off 18 balls.
Uganda took a chance and held back Consy Aweko from bowling the 19th choosing to go with part time bowler Damalie Busingye, this provided Kenya an opportunity which they failed to take getting only 6 runs off the bowling of Damalie. It was down to Consy Aweko who held her nerve to pick up four wickets off her six balls including a hat trick that sealed the game for team Uganda.
The derby win was bitter sweet for Uganda who blow their World Cup hopes with the defeat to Namibia. With Namibia winning their final game against Sierra Leone the derby win is not enough for Uganda to make the finals of the World Cup Qualifiers.
The Lady Cricket Cranes will have to wait another two years before they can try and qualify for the World Cup again.