Rwanda has not just won hearts with their remarkable performances in the recent past but have registered a historic win, their first ever at a World Cup after the U19 team defeated Zimbabwe at their Group B match at Potchefstroom. Zimbabwe won the toss and decided to field first.
Batting first, Rwanda posted a reasonable 119/8. Merveille Uwase and Cynthia Tuyizere were slow to get off the blocks yet steadily built on a partnership although their strike rates were concerning. It was only in the 10th over that Uwase was dismissed. A run-out in the 15th over of Tuyizere for 30 rocked Rwanda. Gisele Ishimwe leading from the front scored a quick-fire 34 off 23 laced with 5 boundaries and a strike rate of 147. With the rest of the batting not even getting to double digits, it was remarkable to note that the bulk of the scoring was done by the top three but what did not work well for Zimbabwe was the fact that they conceded 20 runs in extras which would play spoilsport for them later on. Chipo Moyo’s 3 wicket haul was the major talking point of Zimbabwe’s bowling effort with Kudzai Chigora and Tawananyasha Marumani also chipping in.
Rwanda’s Henriette Ishimwe picked up 4 wickets in 4 balls#CricketTwitter #U19T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/bCKXQpwHuW
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) January 17, 2023
What seemed like a reasonable run chase for Zimbabwe turned out to be complicated. Losing Kay Ndiraya early on was tough but the partnership built on by Natasha Mtomba and later Kelis Ndhlovu with Kelly Ndiraya helped Zimbabwe up until the 8th over. But after Ndiraya was dismissed, Tawananyasha Marumami also was dismissed by Uwase. Then began the tricky period for Zimbabwe as they were restricted to 80/5 and the onslaught by Henriette Ishimwe. She registered a hat-trick, just the second at this World Cup. While requiring 39 off the last 14 balls in the innings, Adel Zimunu was run out by skipper Gisele Ishimwe. In the 19th over, she had a bounty as she bowled Kudzai Chingora, and Olinder Chare and subsequently got rid of Chipo Moyo and Faith Ndalambi. Four wickets in four balls to help Rwanda pull off a spectacular win.
🇷🇼Rwanda U19 won by 39 runs
🇷🇼Rwanda U19: 119-8 (20)
Gisele Ishimwe: 34 (23)
Cynthia Tuyizere: 30(44)
Chipo Moyo 3-22🇿🇼Zimbabwe U19: 80 (18.4)
Natasha Mutomba: 20 (25)
Kelly Ndiraya: 20 (37)
Henriette Ishimwe 4-13#CricketTwitter #U19T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/4IoIbf5c4H— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) January 17, 2023
Gisele Ishimwe for her all-round effort of scoring 34 while also picking a wicket that ensured she bagged the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
Brief Scores: Rwanda- 119 for 8 (Gisele 34, Moyo 3-22) beat Zimbabwe- 80 all out (Mtomba 20, Henriette 4-13) by 39 runs
I am a first year postgraduate student pursuing a MA in Media and Communication Studies at Christ University, Bengaluru. I am a podcaster, blogger and an avid cricket fan. When not glued to cricket matches, you can find me submerged in books and thinking about cricket all the time.