Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana Senior Women’s Cricket national team kicked off the Kalahari Women’s T20 International Tournament on a high note, securing two decisive victories against eSwatini and Mozambique on Saturday at the Botswana Cricket Oval.
In the opening match, the host team dominated eSwatini, winning by an impressive 152 runs. Botswana scored a formidable total of 182 runs while only losing one wicket in their allotted 20 overs. In response, eSwatini struggled to reach 30 runs, facing a full bowling spell from Botswana.
Botswana continued their impressive form in the second match of the day, defeating Mozambique by 129 runs. The team posted 183 runs for the loss of three wickets, while Mozambique could only muster 54 runs before being bowled out in just 16.4 overs.
Vusimuzi Zikhale, Development Manager of the Botswana Cricket Association preparations for the tournament started in 2024 with invitations sent to eleven African countries.
“We have been fortunate enough to receive acceptance letters from eSwatini, Sierra Leone, and Mozambique,” Zikhale said.
He acknowledged that despite some initial hiccups, the tournament commenced smoothly with well-prepared teams.
The weather conditions were favourable, with overcast skies and no rain. Zikhale highlighted the outstanding performance of former team captain Laura Mophakedi, who returned from Eswatini after completing an Umpires’ Tutor course.
Mophakedi scored a half-century, and alongside her opening partner Oratile Kgeresi, they achieved a century partnership, the second of its kind in Botswana Women’s cricket history.
Commenting on the victory over eSwatini, Zikhale said, ‘winning by 152 runs with only one wicket lost was a positive start to the tournament, especially as the host nation.’
He said eSwatini was resilient, something he said tested Botswana’s bowling attack throughout the full 20 overs.
In the other opening match, Mozambique faced a challenging start when their key batter, Olga Carlos Mondlane, was dismissed off the very first ball.
This early setback put immense pressure on the team, resulting in a total of just 37 runs all out in 15.1 overs. Sierra Leone capitalised on this and secured a victory, finishing their innings at 39 runs for three wickets in just 10.4 overs.
Zikhale expressed optimism about the tournament, stating that the atmosphere was electric and the Kalahari Women’s T20 promises to build momentum as it progressed.
He noted that the event, which is sanctioned by the International Cricket Council (ICC), played a role in determining team rankings. While Botswana hopes to win the tournament to improve its standing, Zikhale explained that it would not qualify the team for any future competitions. Instead, he said, the tournament served as a preparation ground for World Cup qualifiers, which Botswana would host in July.
Since its inception in 2014, Botswana has been a strong contender in previous editions of the tournament, but the impacts of COVID-19 disrupted their achievements. Following the tournament’s rebranding in 2024, Botswana finished second to Rwanda, and there is hope to clinch the championship this year.
The Kalahari Women’s T20 International Tournament, sponsored by Orange, will conclude on Thursday.
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