By Marion Malinga
Match Summary
Uganda 104/8 20 overs
Nigeria 61 all out 14 overs
Uganda won by 43 runs
On Saturday when the Uganda Cricket men's team was taking to the field to take on Nigeria at the Pearl of Africa T20I series in Entebbe, the women's team, the Victoria Pearls were readying themselves to face Nigeria's women's team at the T20 Africa World Cup Qualifiers ongoing in Gaborone, Botswana, and it was double delight for the East Africans.
Both sides whitewashed their opponents with the Pearls who won the toss and chose to bat winning the game by 43 runs.
That victory was Uganda's first at the tournament having lost to Namibia in their opening game.
To get the game going, Rachel Ntono and Proscovia Alako opened the batting but didn't last long on the wicket. In went All rounder Rita Musamali and captain Immaculate Nakisuyi who set the pace for their teammates with Musamali scoring 18 including two 4s and the batter 22 three 4s included.
Janet Mbabazi (4) and youngster Esther Iluko (9) were sent in, but it was the partnership of Stephanie Nampiina and Irene Alumo that matched that of Musamali and the captain.
Player of the Match Nampiina had 22 not out to her name and 21 not out for Alumo each with three boundaries.
Added to the runs, Nampiina also picked two wickets and so did Consy Aweko but the fielding of the Victoria Pearls was the difference in the game as the ladies got five run-outs in the field.
A game full of nerves for the Victoria Pearls especially while batting, the team was railing at 50/7 in 15 overs, and if the tail had not wagged Nigeria had the Ugandans on the back foot. Either the Victoria Pearls had taken their opponents lightly and will therefore want to give more respect to Sierra Leone and Cameroon in the two other remaining group games.
Uganda play Cameroon later today.