Vaishnave Mahesh, skipper Esha Oza, and Theertha Satish give the United Arab Emirates (UAE) a hat-trick of victories.
Namibia led by skipper Sune Wittmann defeated Zimbabwe led by skipper Chiedza Dhururu by five wickets in the 6th match of the Tri-series at the Wanderers Cricket Ground, Windhoek. Mekelaye Mwatile was awarded the Player of the Match for her brilliant all-round performance, returning with match figures (4-0-25-1) with the ball and she also chipped in with a power-packed cameo (23* off 9 balls) with the bat.
Namibia then faced the UAE led by skipper Esha Oza in the 7th match of the series at the Wanderers Cricket Ground, Windhoek. The UAE skipper Esha Oza won the toss and opted to field first. After being inserted to bat first, the Namibia openers Yasmeen Khan and skipper Sune Wittmann got their side off to a flying start with a 57-run opening partnership, scoring at over 8 runs an over.
Kavisha Egodage picked up the wicket of Yasmeen Khan to provide the first breakthrough for the United Arab Emirates. Mekelaye Mwatile joined skipper Sune Wittmann at the crease and the duo stitched a crucial 27-run partnership to take their side close to the 100-run mark. Vaishnave Mahesh picked up the wicket of Mekelaye Mwatile to provide the 2nd breakthrough for her side.
Namibia lost a couple of wickets in quick succession to bring the UAE firmly back into the contest. Jurriene Diergaardt joined wicket-keeper batter Merczerly Gorases at the crease and the duo stitched a 15-run partnership for the 5th wicket to take their side past the 100-run mark. Skipper Esha Oza struck twice in the 17th over, landing a double blow, to further restrict the flow of runs.
Namibia ended up with a total of 126/7 in their quota of overs. Skipper Sune Wittmann (43 off 35 balls), Yasmeen Khan (27 off 25 balls), Jurriene Diergaardt (15 off 16 balls), and wicket-keeper batter Merczerly Gorases (11 off 15 balls) were the top performers with the bat for Namibia. Vaishnave Mahesh (4-0-21-2), Kavisha Egodage (4-0-16-1), skipper Esha Oza (3-0-19-2), Indhuja Nandakumar (3-0-18-1), and Heena Hotchandani (4-0-35-1) were the top performers with the ball for the United Arab Emirates.
Chasing a target of 127, the UAE openers wicket-keeper batter Theertha Satish and skipper Esha Oza got their side off to a solid start with a 57-run opening partnership. Wilka Mwatile picked up the big wicket of the opposition skipper Esha Oza to provide the first breakthrough for Namibia. Kavisha Egodage joined wicket-keeper batter Theertha Satish at the crease and the duo stitched a crucial 18-run partnership for the 2nd wicket to take their side close to the 100-run mark.
Theertha Satish was found short of her crease to provide the 2nd breakthrough for Namibia. UAE lost a couple of wickets in quick succession to not only keep the hosts Namibia interested but also send jitters in the UAE camp. Rinitha Rajith joined Samaira Dharnidharka at the crease and the duo stitched a much-needed 33-run partnership for the 5th wicket to take their side past the 120-run mark, bringing UAE on the cusp of victory.
Jurriene Diergaardt picked up the wicket of Samaira Dharnidharka to provide the 5th breakthrough for her side. The UAE eventually got over the line with four wickets in hand and four balls to spare. Wicket-keeper batter Theertha Satish (45 off 37 balls), skipper Esha Oza (21 off 30 balls), Rinitha Rajith (19 off 10 balls), and Samaira Dharnidharka (13 off 16 balls), were the top performers with the bat for the United Arab Emirates.
Victoria Hamunyela (4-0-28-2), Wilka Mwatile (4-0-19-1), Jurriene Diergaardt (3-0-23-1), and Saima Tuhadeleni (4-0-20-0) were the top performers with the ball for Namibia. The UAE skipper Esha Oza was awarded the Player of the Match for her brilliant all-round performance. She returned with match figures (3-0-19-2) with the ball and scored (21 off 30 balls) with the bat.