By 
The Victoria Pearls, Uganda’s senior women’s cricket team, had a promising start to the 11th edition of the Kwibuka Tournament but ultimately fell short, settling for a bronze medal in a campaign marked by missed opportunities and critical collapses.
Coming in as the defending champions and the highest-ranked team (17th in T20I rankings), Uganda were considered the favorites.
The team began with a flawless run, winning all six of their opening matches: Cameroon (by 10 wickets), Zimbabwe HPC (by 4 runs), Sierra Leone (by 10 wickets), Brazil (by 7 wickets), Malawi (by 50 runs), and Tanzania (by 20 runs).
A win over Zimbabwe HPC and another key win over Tanzania — ranked just below Uganda — seemed to put the Pearls on course to retain their crown.
However, Uganda’s campaign unraveled in their match against Nigeria, ranked 26th.
Chasing just 74 runs, Uganda collapsed dramatically from needing 6 runs off 12 balls to losing four wickets in two consecutive maiden overs.
This exposed a major weakness in the lower order’s ability to finish games under pressure.
The dip continued in their next game against Rwanda (ranked 24th), where Uganda failed to defend 119 runs, raising fresh concerns about their bowling discipline and match temperament.
These two losses dropped Uganda to second place, setting up a do-or-die semifinal against Zimbabwe HPC.
In the semifinal, Uganda bowled well, restricting Zimbabwe to 93.
Chasing a modest target, Uganda appeared in control at 83/2 with plenty of deliveries remaining.
However, a dramatic collapse saw them fall short by just one run.
Despite a valiant 54-run stand from Esther Iloku and a controversial run-out involving Sarah Akiteng, they couldn’t cross the finish line.
The run-out incident sparked debate, particularly around the umpiring decision.
The controversy stemmed from a no-ball delivery during which the ball struck Kevin Amuge on the chest at the bowler’s end, causing injury.
Many questioned whether the ball should have been declared dead and whether the spirit of the game had been upheld by Zimbabwe HPC.
However, tournament referee Emmanuel Dube later clarified that Akiteng was correctly adjudged out for leaving her crease before the ball was officially dead.
Unfortunately for Uganda, the free hit that followed had no impact on the outcome.
Uganda ended their campaign on a positive note with a 20-run win over Rwanda, securing third place and taking home the bronze medal.
However, the overall mood remained somber, as the team’s performance fell short of expectations.
There were some bright spots—Rita Musamali was named Best Fielder—but glaring issues remain.
Rita Musamali while receiving the best fielder award
Heading into the Namibia Women’s division one Qualifiers, Uganda will need to urgently address several areas: shaky lower-order batting, lapses in death-over bowling—as seen in the semifinal where Zimbabwe HPC recovered from 38/6 to post 93—and the mental resilience needed to prevent lower-ranked teams from gaining confidence.
In the final of the tournament, Tanzania clinched the title, defeating Zimbabwe HPC by 11 runs to win the 11th edition of the Kwibuka tournament.
Photo Credits: RCA Media
