Kenya women’s cricket team opened their United Arab Emirates tour on a positive note scoring a 72-run win over Qatar as the UAE International Women’s T20 Cup bowled off in Sharjah on Wednesday.
Nakuru based Mary Wambui was the chief architect of Kenya’s maiden win outside the continent with an impressive bat and the ball performance.
Wambui was Kenya’s second top scorer with 30 runs as Kenya posted 133 for 3 before picking up 3 for 8 as Qatar were bowled out for 61 runs with seven balls to play.
After winning the toss Wambui and Quinta Aoko gave Kenya a firm grip when they put on 61 for the first wicket in 10.4 overs.
After Aoko had been run out on 27 from 34 balls, Qatar picked their second soon after when Wambui was trapped lbw having faced 35 balls with 74 runs on the board after 11.5 overs.
Sarah Bhakita was the last wicket to fall in the inning when she was caught on run and ball seven.
From 82 for 3 after 13.4 overs, Sharon Juma and Margaret Banja batted through the remaining overs to lead Kenya to 133.
Banja hit five boundaries on his way to 31 not out while Juma scored 24 from 27 balls.
In reply, Qatar found the going tough. Only one player managed to score double digits. In the absence of experienced Mary Belle and Mercyline Adhiambo, Vanessa Adhiambo and the skipper Daisy Wairimu were entrusted with the new ball.
They got the breakthrough with the first ball of the fifth over when Adhiambo bowled Zainab Ameesha for two with the board on 11.
H Agarwal was run out in the seventh over by Juma after she had added nine with opener Aysha Mohammad.
Mohammad who looked threatening in the chase with a couple of boundaries then put on 22 for the third wicket with Kerry Pounsett before she was run out by Bhakita scoring 27 from 50 balls.
After the dismissal of Mohammed, Kenya bowlers led by Wambui penetrated through the Qatar batting line up picking up wickets regularly.
Wambui and Bhakita all picked three wickets.
In other matches hosts UAE scored an easy six-wicket victory over Malaysia played at the Eden Garden Ajman. Batting first, Malaysia could manage only 81 for eight in 20 overs.
Chasing, UAE achieved the target in just 14.1 overs losing only four wickets.
In the final match of the day at the Sharjah Cricket stadium, Uganda overhauled Oman by 87 runs. Oman needed a tricky 127 to win the target and the batting failed badly as they were shot out for a paltry 39 in 19.5 overs with none of the batswomen reaching the double figure.
Earlier batting first, Uganda were led by a strong show from the lower order batswomen with Franklyn Najjumba (35 not out) and Carol Namugenyi (23 not out) sharing a brilliant unbeaten 65-run partnership for the eighth wicket as Uganda scored 126 for seven in 20 overs.
