TheCable

Host Uganda put up a staggering bowling performance to halt Nigeria’s pursuit of the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 Women’s World Cup ticket after beating the West Africans by six wickets in Entebbe on Friday.

The loss to Uganda in the last group B game sealed Nigeria’s fate after earlier beating Rwanda and hoping to pick a victory against the Ugandans to contest for a semi-final spot.

Sent into the game to bat by Uganda who won the toss, Nigeria’s batting lineup struggled to score runs on the board as the Ugandan bowlers rattled to limit the side to 63/9 in 20 overs.

The top-order batters failed to take charge, losing their wickets in quick succession and leaving captain Blessing Etim 24(42) with the highest batting performance.

The home side, however, showed why they are ranked 12 places —  and ahead of Nigeria — on the ICC table, winning by 66/4 with 24 balls left.

At the end of the game, Etim acknowledged that the batting side did not do enough.

“Our plan in this competition was to play to win but it didn’t go our way. We have learnt our lessons and will go back to the drawing board. We have to correct a few things going forward,” she said.

Uganda and Namibia qualify for the semifinals, with the host finishing top of the group with three wins.