Kenya bundled out: South Africa dominate ICC Senior Women T20 tourney

By Oscar Pilipili

Coach Peter Ongondo having a word with the national team players during change of innings at a past match. The team is in Dar es Salaam for the ICC Africa Senior Women’s Championship. [PHOTO: OSCAR PILIPILI/STANDARD]

Kenya cricket’s woeful season ended with yet another disappointing loss, this time round the national team losing by 59 runs against South Africa in the ICC Africa Senior Women’s Twenty 20 Championships in Dar es Salaam.

Kenya needed to beat the South Africans to improve on last year’s performance but failed to achieve the goal and consequently finished second from bottom of the table standings.

It was Kenya’s third loss in four matches. The previous losses were against Uganda on the opening day (by nine runs) and Tanzania on day two of the event.

South Africa backed by Nikita Sole’s 42 run, posted a challenging target of 107 runs for seven, and successfully defended it by restricting the lackluster opposition for a meager 48 all out in 12.4 overs.

South Africa, by virtue of winning all their matches, finished top with eight points from four wins.

Uganda who beat the hosts at the same venue on the last match by 15 runs emerged second with six points. Tanzania was third with four points while Namibia was last with no win.

losing streak

It was the seventh loss out of nine for team captain Emily Ruto and company in a year, which is testimony to the harrowing time they had during the season.

The batting failed yet again as Ruto, Margaret Banja and Sharon Juma fell cheaply for two runs, one and three as Kenya was reduced to 24 for five in 5.5 overs.

With the two runs, Ruto ended the tournament with four runs in four innings showing that the performance of the once dependable batter was at its worst.

Within the first eight overs, the top six were back in the pavilion and it was only opener Pearlyne Omamo who offered some resistance with 16 from 17 until the tenth over when she was caught out  by YF Fourie with Kenya struggling at 40 for seven.

wicket fall

Lydia Kaparo was the batter who came close to Omamo in the scores with unbeaten six from 10 ball as the rest fell cheaply to the South African bowling.

RA Appeals and Fourie cleared up the tail with three wickets each after CD Downes had taken the wickets of Ruto and Banja.

After losing opener Appeals for a duck with the third ball of the day, the South Africans found footing in a BB Bezuidenhout and Sole who put on 53 runs for the second wicket.

Bezuidenhout made 25 runs before she was caught out by Ruth Mwihaki in the 11th over.

But LG Goodall and Sole got the scores to 78 before the former was trapped leg before wicket with 16.2 overs played. ET Theunissen also made 15 before falling to Ruto.

Sole was finally dismissed with six balls to play when she was run out by Jane Achieng with scores at 102.

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