Lina Ikuzwe played a composed innings of 19 runs off 18 balls as Rwanda defeated Kenya by five wickets to secure a place in the semi-finals of the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Division 1 Qualifier in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Wednesday.

Rwanda chased down Kenya’s modest total of 69 for nine in just 9.4 overs, reaching 70 for five to complete a comfortable victory with more than 10 overs to spare.

Kenya struggled to build momentum throughout their innings, with Rwanda’s bowling attack keeping the pressure on and restricting them to 69 runs from their 20 overs.

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Ikuzwe played a key role in the chase, anchoring Rwanda’s innings as wickets fell at regular intervals. She was supported by Deborah Uwase, who scored nine runs off 13 balls, and Thania Uwase Niyorukundo, who contributed eight off 10 balls.

Despite losing five wickets, Rwanda remained in control and comfortably reached the target in 9.4 overs.

The victory marks Rwanda’s second consecutive win in the competition after they bounced back from their opening 51-run defeat to Zimbabwe with an emphatic 81-run victory over Namibia.

The result sees Rwanda advance to the semi-finals after recovering strongly from their opening setback.

The tournament features eight teams divided into two groups, with the leading sides progressing to the next stage of the qualification pathway.