Victoria Pearls fall short in World Cup bid after semifinal loss to Zimbabwe

ICC Women's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier

Results

Uganda 119/ 7 in 20 overs

Zimbabwe 120/5 in 17.4 overs

Zimbabwe won by 5 wickets.

The Victoria Pearls’ hopes of qualifying for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup were dashed on Thursday after a five-wicket defeat to Zimbabwe in the semifinals of the Africa Qualifier Division I, held in Windhoek, Namibia.

Zimbabwe won the toss and opted to field, sending Uganda in to bat under early morning conditions.

The Pearls made a steady start, with captain Janet Mbabazi leading from the front, scoring a brisk 29 off 23 balls.

However, the early dismissal of Esther Iloku for a duck added pressure to the Ugandan side, forcing the top order to step up.

Immaculate Nakisuuyi (26), Rita Musamali (23), and Stephanie Nampiina (13) contributed freely with the bat, but none managed to anchor the innings long enough to build a formidable total. Uganda eventually posted a respectable 119 runs, setting Zimbabwe a target of 120.

Uganda’s defense began tentatively, lacking early breakthroughs. However, they clawed back with key wickets—two from Mbabazi, one from Nakisuuyi, another from Malisa Ariokot, and a run-out orchestrated by Kevin Awino. These efforts kept Zimbabwe under pressure until the 17th over.

That pressure unraveled when Zimbabwe’s seasoned batters, Nyasha Gwanzura and Beloved Biza, launched a counterattack against bowler Sarah Akiteng. Akiteng’s over proved costly, conceding 28 runs.

Zimbabwe needed 32 off 24 balls at the start of the over, but Gwanzura’s back-to-back sixes shifted momentum decisively.

Malisa Ariokot claimed a wicket in her debut over, but Zimbabwe’s depth and experience proved too strong. They chased down the target with five wickets in hand, sealing Uganda’s exit from World Cup contention.