Namibia confirmed their spot in the semifinals of the Kwibuka Women’s Twenty20 International tournament with a convincing 36-run win over Kenya in a table-toppers clash on Match Day 4, Game 7 at Gahanga Stadium.
It was the fourth consecutive win for the southern Africans, who are debuting at this annual event whose initial edition was played in 2014 to honour the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Adri van der Merwe (33 runs off 41 balls) and Sune Wittmann (39 runs off 26 balls) combined for a 65-run opening stand in 9.3 overs that was littered with 12 boundaries after Kenya captain Margaret Banja Ngoche won the toss and asked them to bat.
Those two were the last to score runs freely as Kenya clawed back into the contest courtesy of their slow bowlers; Queentor Abel (1 wicket for 23 runs in 4 overs), Sarah Bhakita Wetoto (3 wickets for 13 runs in 4 overs) and Esther Wangari Wachira (2 wickets for 18 runs in 4 fours).
Wilka Mwatile (11 runs) and skipper Irene van Zyl (10 runs not out) also reached double figures as the Capricorn Eagles set 110 runs for 6 wickets.
Needing 5.5 runs per over to win, Kenya’s innings got off to the worst start with the dangerous Veronicah Abuga dismissed for 2 runs by van Zyl (3 wickets for 11 runs in 3.2 overs).
Kenya were still in the game at 50 for 2 but when the experienced pair of Sharon Juma (12 runs off 11 balls) and Wetoto (5 runs off 9 balls) fell in quick succession, the wheels came off their ship.
Namibian spinner Victoria Hamunyela returned figures of 4 wickets for 15 runs to win her second Player of Match accolade as Kenya folded 74 runs in 14.2 overs.
The loss meant that Kenya stay on 4 points as Namibia ascended to 8 points, four ahead of the five nations in the fray and will take a deserved rest day tomorrow as they await to know who their semifinal opponent will be.
Kenya will seek to make amends in their last round-robin match against Rwanda this morning.
