- Rwanda Women 100/8 in 20 Overs
- USA Women 86 all out in 19.2 Overs
- Rwanda Women won by 14 runs
Rwanda Women showed patience and composure to see off USA Women by 14 runs in the 2026 Victoria Series at Lakeside Oval in Entebbe on Friday afternoon, recovering from a difficult batting innings to defend their modest total.
For USA captain Aditiba Indrajitsinh Chudasama, the damage was largely done during the powerplay, when her side lost early wickets and struggled to find its footing in the chase.
“We lost it in the powerplay in the first innings, and I think our top order didn’t click. So, I think on another day, you know, we got really close today, you know, let’s see how well we can recover and return tomorrow morning,” Chudasama said after the match.
Rwanda had won the toss and elected to bat, but USA made them work for every run, restricting them to 100 for eight in their allotted 20 overs.
Gisele Ishimwe gave Rwanda a promising start with 16 off 14 balls, hitting three boundaries before she was caught by Ella Caterina Claridge off Taranum Chopra. Fanny Utagushimaninde added 15 from 22 deliveries, while Clarisse Umuntoniwase top-scored with 17 off 27 balls.
However, USA kept chipping away at the wickets to prevent Rwanda from building any meaningful momentum. Merveille Uwase made eight before falling to Chopra, while Shakila Niyomuhoza contributed 11 before being run out through the combined efforts of Sainavi Kambalapalli and Claridge.
The wickets continued to fall as Henriette Therese Ishimwe was dismissed for a duck and Belise Murekatete managed just one run. Diane Marie Bimeniyimana also failed to get off the mark.
At 82 for eight, Rwanda needed someone to keep the innings together. Alice Ikuzwe answered that call, remaining unbeaten on 16 from 11 balls, while Rosine Irera stayed at the other end as the innings closed on 100 for eight.
Chudasama led the USA attack with three wickets for 20 runs in four overs. Chopra was equally impressive, taking two wickets for just 10 runs, while Kambalapalli and Ritu Priya Singh claimed one wicket each.
USA needed 101 runs to win, but their chase got off to a poor start. Chetna Reddy Pagydyala managed one run before falling, while Kambalapalli was dismissed for three, leaving the Americans at 10 for two.
The situation worsened when Claridge and Pooja Ganesh both fell to Bimeniyimana, who bowled a disciplined spell of three overs, taking two wickets for nine runs and recording a maiden.
Vaghela offered some resistance with 18 off 26 balls, but USA continued to lose wickets at crucial moments. Bhogle made seven before falling to Ruth Uwimana, while Ritu Priya Singh was dismissed for one.
When Vaghela departed at 40 for seven, Rwanda were firmly in control. Chudasama tried to steady the innings with 11 off 14 deliveries but was run out through the combined efforts of Irera and Bimeniyimana.
USA still had brief hopes when Chopra and Maahi Madhavan added some urgency to the chase. Chopra scored 16 off 15 balls, while Madhavan struck 15 from just eight deliveries, including a boundary.
But Player of the Match, Ikuzwe ended any hopes of a late comeback, dismissing both batters and also removing Ritu Priya Singh to finish with three wickets for 14 runs in 3.2 overs.
Uwimana also played her part with two wickets for 18 runs, while Bimeniyimana claimed two for nine. Irera and Murekatete picked up one wicket apiece as USA were bowled out for 86 in 19.2 overs, falling 14 runs short.
The result handed Rwanda a valuable victory, while USA will have little time to dwell on the disappointment with another fixture awaiting them on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, Rita Musamali’s patient unbeaten 42 off 55 balls had guided defending champions Uganda’s Victoria Pearls to a four-wicket victory over Namibia in the tournament opener.
The Victoria Series continues on Saturday, November 7, with USA facing Namibia in the morning match starting at 9:30 a.m. Uganda will return in the afternoon to take on neighbours Rwanda at 2:30 p.m. in what promises to be an interesting East African contest.