Malawi snatched victory by two wickets in their thriller against Kenya to be crowned winners of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Division 2 Qualifier at Gahanga Cricket Stadium in Rwanda. Malawi’s ability to rotate the strike in the final overs determined the result in the nail-biting final.
Kenya captain Melvin Khagoitsa scored an exciting 56 from 37 deliveries to help her side to 109 for eight after electing to bat first. Tania Atieno’s 15 off 27 was the only other double-digit score, while the rest of the batting line-up was dismissed for less than 10. Malawi’s Evah Kabwere led the attack, returning with three wickets for 20, while the rest chipped in for a tidy finish.
Their successful chase was fractured by wickets falling at regular intervals, thanks to Kenya’s Stella Idagiza who was exceptional, taking a dazzling five wickets for just 14 runs, including a maiden over in her spell. It was Malawi’s captain, Ketrina Maliamu Chingaipe and Esther Richard’s scores of 28 not out (off 23 balls) and 21 (off 17) that put them in the driver’s seatand led them to victory in the end.
The result means that Malawi finished the tournament unbeaten, while Kenya conceded their first defeat. Both sides are now through to next month’s ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in Kigali, where they will compete against Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The winners will progress to the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025 in Malaysia.
A delighted Ketrina Maliamu Chingaipe said: “I thank my team and coaching staff for giving their all throughout the tournament. Today, we were tested against Kenya but kept our resolve to get over the line. So, another round of applause to my teammates, and we look forward to testing ourselves against better opposition in the Africa Qualifier.”
In other matches, Sierra Leone’s back-to-back wins against Botswana (fourth place) and Mozambique (fifth place) sealed a third-place finish, while Eswatini and Lesotho finished in sixth and seventh places, respectively. Scorecards of all the matches can be located here.
Rwanda Cricket Association General Manager, Emmanuel Byiringiro said: “We have witnessed some excellent cricket over the last few days, and we are psyched about what’s in store for cricket fans during next month’s ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in Kigali.
“The preparations were excellent on and off the field, and I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the entire team for ensuring that we had a fantastic tournament.”
Kenya captain Melvin Khagoitsa emerged as the Player of the Tournament after an emphatic,all-round display with both bat and ball. She topped the scoring charts with 338 runs in six innings at an average of 84.50 and a strike rate of 169.
She also finished in the top five of the bowling charts with nine wickets at an economy of 2.65. Her side dominated the awards ceremony after claiming the best batter award following Kreeshna Mehta’s 288 in six innings, including an unbeaten 116 against Lesotho.
Malawi’s left-arm quick, Evah Kabwere, walked away with the best bowler award for her 15 wickets in six innings at an economy rate of 3.17.
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