The opening day of the ICC Women’s Challenge Trophy in Kigali delivered on all fronts despite rain interruptions. ALSO READ: ICC Women Challenge Trophy tourney kicks off in Kigali Italy defeated hosts Rwanda by 16 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in a rain-affected opening match of the ICC Women’s Challenge Trophy at the Gahanga Cricket Stadium on Saturday, April 18. Rwanda made a slow start to the tournament, struggling to keep pace after Italy set an early target. Having won the toss and elected to bat, Italy posted 72 runs before rain interrupted play in the 11th over. Following the delay, the match was reduced to seven overs per side, with Rwanda’s revised target set at 67 runs under DLS. However, the hosts failed to build momentum in their chase, finding Italy’s disciplined bowling attack difficult to break down. Despite strong support from the home crowd, Rwanda were limited to 50 runs, with key players including Gisele Ishimwe, Fanny Utagushimaninde, Alice Ikuzwe, and Clarisse Uwase dismissed before they could anchor the innings. Italy’s Alexia Kontopirakis was named Player of the Match after a standout all-round performance, scoring 45 runs off 37 balls and contributing two catches in the field. It was, on the other side, a difficult start for Rwanda who will now look to bounce back in their next fixture against Vanuatu on Sunday 9:00 AM at Gahanga B Oval. USA stun pre-tournament favourites Nepal The United States faced Nepal in what was billed as the standout match of the day that cricket fans were looking forward to. The game quickly turned in favor of the USA, coached by Hilton Moreeng, as they secured a convincing 40-run victory. Batting first, the USA posted 123/6 in 20 overs, before restricting Nepal to 83/9 in 20 overs. Two Americans stood out in the match, with Pooja Ganesh putting in player of the match performance with 47 runs while Gargi Bhogle contributed 34 runs. USA will rest on Sunday while Nepal will be back to action against Italy at Gahanga B Oval at 1:00PM. Sunday Fixtures Rwanda vs Vanuatu 9:00 AM (Gahanga B Oval) Italy vs Nepal 1:00 PM (Gahanga B Oval)
