Tuesday Rwanda 88/9 vs Nigeria (10.3/10.3 ov, T:47) 49/4 Nigeria won by 3 runs (DLS method) Rwanda women’s cricket team has failed to reach the semi-finals of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup Africa Region Qualifier after Nigeria beat them by 3 runs (DLS method) at Entebbe Cricket Oval in Uganda on Tuesday, December 12, to send them packing. It was Rwanda's second defeat in as many games, having lost to hosts Uganda on Sunday, December 10, leaving them bottom of Group B without a point. Uganda lead the table with four points after back-to-back wins, with Nigeria and Namibia in second and third places respectively on two points each. Rwanda captain Marie Diane Bimenyimana won the toss and opted to bat. She went on to lead her team with 17 runs off 27 balls, while Clarisse Uwase top scored with 18 off 24 balls as Rwanda posted 88/9 in the allotted 20 overs. ALSO READ: Cricket: Rwanda handed tough draw in Women’s World Cup Qualifiers Opener Clarisse Uwase started relatively well with 14 from 23 balls before she was caught by Favour Eseigbe off the bowling of Adeshola Adekunle in the ninth over. Alice Ikuzwe and Marie Tumukunde were Rwanda's other run-getters of note with 11 and 8 runs respectively. Peculiar Agboya led Nigeria's bowling statistics with figures of 3 wickets from four overs for just 13 runs, while Lucky Piety picked 2 wickets for 13 runs from four overs. Due to bad weather, Nigeria's inning was reduced to a target of 47 runs in 10.3 overs using the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. The DLS method is a mathematical formulation designed to calculate the target score for the team batting second in a limited overs cricket match interrupted by weather or other circumstances. Agboya's 19 runs including 4 fours off 17 balls laid the foundation for the west Africans, who scored 49 from the 10.3 overs hence winning by 3 runs. Piety (8 runs off 19 balls), Esiegbe (7 off 13) and Christabel Chukuwuonye (6 runs off 7 balls), led Nigeria to their first win of the tournament and into second place. Rosine Irere and Tumukunde took 2 wickets apiece but the task had already been made harder by the use of DLS. Rwanda returns to action on Thursday when they face Namibia at 9:30AM, while Nigeria takes on Uganda in their final group game at 1:30PM. With hosts Uganda already assured of a place in the last four, and Rwanda out of the running, the battle for second place lies between Nigeria and Namibia. The top two teams from Group B will square off against Zimbabwe and Tanzania who are already through from Group A after they both registering two wins over Kenya and Botswana.
