Brazil kept their hopes of reaching the Kwibuka Women's T20I Tournament final alive after edging Rwanda by seven runs in a dramatic Super Over at Gahanga Cricket Stadium on Thursday, June 18. In one of the most thrilling matches of the tournament, both teams finished level on 128 runs after 20 overs, forcing the first Super Over involving Rwanda in this year’s competition. Batting first, Rwanda posted 128/5, led by captain Diane Bimenyimana, who anchored the innings with 49 runs off 41 balls. She received support from Georgette Ingabire’s 23 off 28 and Gisele Ishimwe’s 21 off 16, helping the hosts recover after losing early wickets. ALSO READ: KWIBUKA T20I: Rwanda, Zimbabwe lead race to final Brazil’s reply was built around a match-winning partnership between Roberta Moretti and Lindsay Boas. Moretti top-scored with 56 off 50 balls and was named Player of the Match, while Boas contributed a valuable 28 off 27 deliveries as Brazil finished on 128/8, matching Rwanda's total. With the scores tied, the match went to a Super Over. Brazil scored 15 without loss, with Lindsay Boas and Laura Cardoso attacking from the outset. Rwanda managed only 8/2, handing Brazil a memorable seven-run Super Over victory. After the match, Brazil head coach Lee Booth praised his team's execution against one of the tournament favourites. We knew Rwanda would be a very difficult opponent. They're playing at home, they know the conditions, and they have some very good batters. Our plan was to keep them close to 120 and I think our bowlers did a great job to make that happen. Roberta Moretti also highlighted Brazil fearless approach during the decisive Super Over. Throughout this tournament, our coach encouraged us to play with freedom and not be afraid of making mistakes. In the Super Over, Lindsay and Laura went out with the intention of putting pressure on Rwanda, and they executed that plan very well. Despite the victory, Moretti admitted Brazil qualification hopes are no longer entirely in their own hands. We've done everything we can. Rwanda have played excellent cricket throughout the tournament and their net run rate is much stronger than ours. Now we'll watch the remaining matches and hope for the best. The defeat ended Rwanda’s three-match winning streak, but the hosts remain in a strong position to reach the final ahead of their last group-stage match against Nigeria. Rwanda’s head coach Leonard Nhamburo remained confident despite the setback. Every upcoming match is important. There's always a challenge when we play Nigeria. The plan is to continue playing aggressive and positive cricket. With Zimbabwe HPC and Rwanda still leading the standings, the race for the final remains wide open heading into the closing matches of the group stage. Fixtures Friday, June 19 Rwanda vs Nigeria 1:30 PM
