Uganda women’s cricket captain, Janet Mbabazi, has admitted her side was taken by surprise after Nigeria’s Yellow-Greens pulled off a thrilling five-wicket win in the Kwibuka 31 tournament in Kigali.
Despite winning the toss and choosing to bowl first—a decision that initially put pressure on Nigeria—Uganda lost control as the match wore on. Nigeria seized key moments, combining disciplined bowling with sharp fielding to complete a memorable comeback.
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“I think that as a team we will take this on the chin,” Mbabazi said. “Obviously, winning the toss and choosing to ball fast, I think that the bowlers were able to put so much pressure on the Nigerian batters, restricting them to, I think, a good score for us.”
Mbabazi acknowledged her side’s shortcomings while praising Nigeria’s performance. “I think that’s very commendable from them considering, you know, our batting lineup and, you know, just our ability as a team. I think they did very well with the ball. The lady over here coming in bowling stump to stump and giving our bat as a challenge. So it’s, you know, some good bowling, some exceptional fielding as well. So well done to them and just the sky’s the limit from here.”
While the result was disappointing for the Ugandan side, Mbabazi said it served as a valuable lesson.
“But I think that we sort of like didn’t rocket strike much in there. But at the end of the day there’s a winner and a loser, and we take this on the chin, and it’s, you know, it’s good that it’s coming now. I think that they just need to express themselves and that’s what we, you know, keep reminding them.”
