Gisele Ishimwe believes Rwanda still have a chance of reaching the Victoria Series final after they held their nerve to edge the United States by two runs in a tense contest at Lakeside Oval in Entebbe on Tuesday morning.
On Rwanda’s side, it was a result the team had been chasing, and one that has given them fresh belief heading into the remaining matches.
“This game means a lot on our side because everyone was looking for it. For us, we are now seeing that we still have a chance to play in the final,” Ishimwe said.
Rwanda made 107 for five in their 20 overs before restricting USA to 105 for four in a close finish that could easily have gone either way.
USA won the toss and elected to bowl, but Rwanda found enough runs to give their bowlers something to defend.
Youngster Fanny Utagushimaninde provided the early impetus with 21 off 17 balls before Ishimwe contributed 20 from 30 deliveries. Captain Diane Marie Bimenyimana also made 20 off 37 balls, while Clarisse Umuntoniwase added 19 from 24 deliveries.
Henriette Therese Ishimwe remained unbeaten on seven, with Belise Murekatete contributing an unbeaten six as Rwanda finished on 107 for five.
Aditiba Indrajitsinh Chudasama was the pick of the USA bowlers, taking three wickets for 15 runs in three overs. Maahi Madhavan and Taranum Chopra claimed a wicket each.
Chasing 108, USA struggled to build the partnerships needed to get ahead of the required run rate.
Chetna Reddy Pagydyala made 12 off 23 balls before Ruth Uwimana dismissed her, while Sainavi Kambalapalli managed only two. Isani Mahesh Vaghela gave USA some hope with 28 off 30 deliveries, and Ella Caterina Claridge added 12.
However, Rwanda refused to let the game slip away. Bimenyimana took two wickets for 26 runs in four overs, matching Uwimana’s two-wicket haul. Uwimana was particularly economical, conceding just 13 runs in her four overs.
With the required rate climbing, Nikhar Doshi (19 not out) and Chopra (20 not out) tried to keep USA in the contest, but Rwanda held on as their opponents finished on 105 for four.
Bimenyimana’s all-round contribution earned her the Player of the Match award. The captain had earlier scored 20 runs before returning to take two wickets, conceding 26 runs.
For Ishimwe, the pressure was real, but the team’s discipline and concentration made the difference.
“It was a little bit of pressure, but we didn’t do a lot. We have just been focusing so that we could do good things,” she said.
While Rwanda celebrated their second victory of the tournament, USA were left searching for their first win. Their defeat, however, did not leave Chudasama without positives to take into the next fixture.
She credited Rwanda’s fielding but admitted USA had failed to make the most of their own opportunities.
“Rwanda were great in the field, and I think we didn’t really hold on to our chances that we got,” Chudasama said.
She also felt USA’s failure to keep the scoreboard moving during the middle overs proved costly, leaving the lower order with too much to do in the final stages.
“We didn’t keep the run rate moving in the middle overs in the second innings, and I think that cost us a little bit because we were playing a lot of catch-up in the last five overs. It’s always hard for the incoming batters when the run rate is climbing,” she explained.
Chudasama believes USA must get their approach right earlier in the innings when chasing, particularly during the first 10 overs, rather than leaving themselves with a difficult task at the finish.
“Next game we could learn from the other teams and do a little bit better in the first 10 in terms of chasing,” she added.
Despite losing their opening two matches and now falling short against Rwanda, Chudasama remains encouraged by the team’s improvement. She was particularly pleased with the sharper fielding and the work done by the bowlers.
With two more matches to play before their final game, USA are determined to correct their mistakes and finish the tournament on a positive note.
“We’re feeling pretty good. The first two didn’t go our way, and today we looked a lot sharper on the field. Our bowlers did a good job, so hopefully we’re moving in the right direction, and we can tie up any loose ends and finish on a strong note,” she said.
Rwanda, meanwhile, will have little time to enjoy their hard-earned victory. They return to action on Wednesday morning against hosts Uganda’s Victoria Pearls, knowing another strong performance could strengthen their push for a place in the final.
USA Women, on the other hand, focus on finishing strong as they await facing Namibia on Wednesday afternoon.