Wachira, Abel guide Kenya to Division 2 Qualifier final

Kenya Women beat Cameroon by 118 runs to qualify for the finals of the ICC 2023 Women T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier – Division 2 tournament that is underway in Gaborone, Botswana.

Kenya will face Botswana in the final on Friday afternoon, both teams effectively having qualified for the ICC 2023 Women T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier - Division 1 set for 7th - 18th December 2023 in Entebbe, Uganda.

Despite floundering at the start, Esther Wachira had a dream innings, putting in a repair job that yielded her maiden T20I half century off 45 balls in a 71 – run partnership for the fourth wicket alongside Venasa Adhiambo (32.) The skipper added a further 49 runs to the fifth wicket in the company of Melvin Khagoitsa, who finished unbeaten on 28 runs off 20 balls, in the company of her sister (Lavendah Alivitsa) for the last five balls of the innings to finish on 5/156.

Esther Wangare celebrates her half century against Cameroon. Photo Credits: Botswana Cricket Association.

For the first time in the tournament, Kenya had a shaky start, losing three wickets in the power play to have the tournament favourites at 3-32 inside four overs. Daisy Wairimu succumbed inside the ring to be the first to depart at the close of the third over for 7. Three balls later, Aboui Mbida had yesterday’s centurion Queentor Abel (15) trapped in front before upending Mary Mwangi’s stumps for a golden duck to bag two wickets in the fourth over.

Wachira was eventually dismissed with five balls to go by Olive Pienape who bowled her sole over of the innings to have the captain caught by Bernadette Aboui at cover for 51. off 46 balls.

In reply, Cameroon were dismissed for a paltry 38 runs in 14.4 runs, Abel being the star of the second innings with a five - fer that included 2 wickets off 2 balls in the fourth over and a maiden to close out her quota with 5/5. Mary Wambui picked a measly 2/4 off her three overs while Wachira snapped up the last two wickets off consecutive balls to wrap up her captain's innings with 2/5 off 10 balls.

Pienape was the only Cameroonian to manage double figures with 11 off 16 balls.

The tournament resumes for the final day on Friday with Cameroon taking on Sierra Leone in the 3^rd/4^th play offs in the morning and the final pitting the hosts against an unbeaten Kenyan side later on in the afternoon at the Botswana Cricket Association Oval 1.