In a gripping turn of events at the Kwibuka Women’s T20 Tournament, host nation Rwanda pulled off a major upset by defeating defending champions Uganda by five wickets, shaking up the standings and sending a clear message ahead of the semi-finals.
Uganda, who entered the match as firm favorites, were left to rue a string of missed chances in the field and an underwhelming start with the bat. Janat Mbabazi opened Uganda’s innings with promise, hitting an early boundary, but was dismissed after just 18 minutes at the crease for 11 runs. Despite a rocky start, Uganda stabilized through a vital middle-order stand. Immaculate delivered a composed 44 while Ritah Musamali added 36 runs, helping Uganda to a competitive 119 for 6 in their 20 overs.
Rwanda’s reply began aggressively, with a flurry of boundaries energizing the home crowd. The chase, however, took a dramatic turn when Uganda’s Proscovia Alako suffered an injury mid-innings and was forced off the field. At that point, Rwanda had already reached 42 for 1 in just 5 overs, firmly in control.
Uganda’s bowling unit showed flashes of brilliance, especially from Nampiina, who claimed 2 wickets for just 6 runs, but struggled to contain the Rwandan batters as the innings progressed. Bimenyimana and Ishimwe anchored the chase expertly, repeatedly finding the gaps and dispatching poor deliveries to the boundary.
Speaking after the match, Uganda’s Janat Mbabazi pointed to poor fielding as the root cause of their downfall. “Fielding is usually our weak spot as Ugandans,” she admitted. “The Rwandans took advantage of our mistakes, and we thought 119 runs would be enough to defend.”
Despite some late pressure after the powerplay, Rwanda held their nerve and crossed the finish line with five wickets in hand, marking one of their most memorable victories in the tournament’s history.
With this result, Uganda slips to second place in the standings and will face a tough semi-final clash against Zimbabwe. Rwanda, buoyed by this momentum-shifting win, will take on Tanzania next.
The spotlight now turns to Saturday, where Uganda’s title defense hangs in the balance.
