Sune Wittmann ensures Namibia stay top of the log with 93 runs

WITTMANN’S 93 ENSURES NAMIBIA STAY ATOP THE LOG IN GAME SIX OF KWIBUKA WOMEN’S TWENTY20 INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT IN KIGALI

 Sune Wittmann triples the act with 3 sixes and 6 boundaries in knock of 93.

 Shameelah Mosweu leads Botswana’s fight back with cultured innings of 29.

 Namibia spinners Victoria Hamunyela and Kayleen dim lights on Botswana.

Namibia captain Irene van Zyl and her opposite number in the Botswana dugout Laura Mophakedi promised better displays during the pre-match interviews ahead of their duel in Game Six of the seventh Kwibuka Women’s Twenty20 International Tournament at Gahanga Stadium.

And both delivered in the battle of southern Africa countries. But it was the former that came out tops with a 65-run victory when the match climaxed; thanks to no small part Player of Match Sune Wittmann.

Wittmann, promoted up the batting order to open the innings after her skipper van Zyl won the toss, was let off early on in her innings by the Botswana fielders and she duly made them pay by riding her luck to carry her bat for an unbeaten half century of 93 runs off 60 balls – the highest individual score of the tournament thus far.

Wittmann sprayed balls all over the park, fittingly nicknamed ‘The Lord’s of East Africa, with nine boundaries; three of them towering sixes and the other six fours.

She didn’t show any pinch of regret on missing out on a coveted century as she willingly granted wicketkeeper cum batsman Yasmeen Khan (31 runs off 29 balls) a fair share of the strike as Namibia set a mammoth 155 runs for the loss of 1 wicket in the 20 overs.

The only wicket to fall in the first innings was of Adri van der Merwe (17 runs off 32 balls), who succumbed to a team effort run-out that was completed by Botswana all-rounder Botho Freeman.

Faced with a mountain to climb, Botswana didn’t shy away from the challenge as their openers; Florence Samanyika (13 runs off 16 balls) and captain Mophakedi (15 runs off 24 balls) stringed together the team’s best partnership thus far – a 34-run combo that lasted 5.3 overs.

The two Capricorn Eagles spinners; Victoria Hamunyela (2 wickets for 11 runs in 4 overs) and Kayleen-Ann Green (2 wickets for 16 runs in 4 overs) made their presence felt for the umpteenth time in this tournament as they stifled and reduced their opponents of the day to 79 runs for 5 wickets in 14.2 overs.

But there was a last kick of a dying horse offered by left-hander Shameelah Mosweu, who came in at No.3 and had miserly watched wickets fall around her.

She constructed five beautiful boundaries in her innings of 29 runs off 22 balls to ensure that Botswana end on a respectable total of 90 runs for 7 wickets – a score that left their coach Innocent Chando with lots of optimism despite suffering their third consecutive loss.

The table toppers clash takes centre-stage tomorrow when Namibia and Kenya lock horns with both sides eager to take the early bragging rights of the tournament that has five teams in the fray and climaxes on Saturday (June 12^th).

Watch A Recap Of The Match; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS9xiK7aeFs

The Match Scorecard; https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/kwibuka-women-s-twenty20-2021-1265208/botswana-women-vs-namibia-women-6th-match-1265218/full-scorecard

SCORES IN BRIEF

Botswana vs. Namibia

Namibia 155 runs for 1 wicket in 20 (S. Wittmann 93, Y. Khan 31; T. Shadrack 1/11)

Botswana 90 runs for 7 wickets (S. Mosweu 29; V. Hamunyela 2/11, K. Green 2/16)

Namibia won by 65 runs

KWIBUKA WOMEN’S TWENTY20 INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT

Team	Played	Won	Lost	Points	NRR
Namibia	3	3	0	6	2.991
Kenya	2	2	0	4	2.613
Rwanda	2	1	1	2	0.263
Nigeria	2	0	2	0	-2.000
Botswana	3	0	3	0	-4.711

FIXTURES

Wednesday, June 9

Gahanga Stadium

9:30am: Namibia vs. Kenya

1:50pm: Rwanda vs. Nigeria

Thursday, June 10

Gahanga Stadium

9:30am: Kenya vs. Rwanda

1:50pm: Nigeria vs. Botswana

Friday, June 11

Gahanga Stadium

9:30am: Semifinal 1 (1^st vs. 4^th)

1:50pm: Semifinal 2 (2^nd vs. 3^rd)

Saturday, June 12

Gahanga Stadium

9:30am: Bronze Match 1 (Third Place Playoff)

1:50pm: Gold Match (Final)

FOR MORE DETAILS CONTACT

Julius Mbaraga

Secretary General,

Rwanda Cricket Association

Email: rwandacricket@yahoo.fr

Mobile/Whatsapp: +250 788 483 485