Victoria Series: Four Teams, 12 Games – The Numbers

Twelve matches, four teams and a collection of performances that gave the Victoria Series 2026 plenty of statistical talking points. Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda and USA brought different strengths to the Entebbe Cricket Ground, producing a competition shaped by batting contributions, bowling spells, low-scoring battles and some expensive moments of indiscipline.

Across the 12 matches, the teams accumulated 2,135 runs and lost 181 wickets. There were 106 fours and four sixes, while extras contributed another 201 runs to the overall tally. The figures paint a picture of a tournament in which the ball often had the upper hand, boundaries were relatively scarce and extras became a significant part of the scoring. 

The run factory: 2,135 runs across 12 matches

The four teams combined for 2,135 runs across the 24 innings played. That works out at an average of approximately 178 runs per match, or 89 runs per innings.

It was not a tournament dominated by huge totals. Instead, several matches were decided by teams making the most of modest scores, with bowlers frequently keeping the opposition below 100.

Rita Musamali was the leading run-scorer, finishing with 138 runs for Uganda. Her contribution was built on consistency across the campaign, including her 42 against Namibia, 27 against USA and 23 against Rwanda. She was followed by teammate Stephanie Nampiina, who finished with 116 runs, including a half-century against USA in Uganda’s final group match.

Rwanda’s Gisele Ishimwe was next with 96 runs, while Namibia’s Kayleen Ann Green accumulated 89. USA’s Isani Mahesh Vaghela scored 81, with Sainavi Kambalapalli close behind on 80.

Musamali’s position at the top is particularly significant. She was not simply producing one big innings and disappearing from the scorecard; she contributed in different match situations, offering the Victoria pearls both stability and the ability to accelerate.

Boundaries: 106 fours, 4 sixes

The boundary count is one of the more striking features of the series. Across the 12 matches, the batters struck 106 fours and just four sixes. That means 424 runs came from fours and 24 from sixes, giving a combined boundary contribution of 448 runs.

The low sixes count may suggest that the competition was not particularly driven by power-hitting; however, you should note that the Entebbe boundary is quite impossible to overcome. Even for the men’s, it’s still a challenge, and unlike the Lugogo wicket, the Entebbe wicket tends to favour the bowlers; some say it’s a bowling wicket.

So, batters generally had to work for their runs, find gaps and build innings through placement and rotation rather than relying on clearing the boundary.

Suné Wittmann, Wilka Mwatile and Stephanie Nampiina were the only players to clear the ropes.

The wider lesson is that boundary-hitting was not a major source of runs in this competition. Teams that could rotate strike, preserve wickets and build partnerships had a better chance of putting competitive totals on the board.

The singles and doubles question

Over 1,400 runs were singles and doubles; usually this reflects how well teams rotated strike, and in this case teams did a decent job, plus they had to, with the boundaries proving difficult, you need to rotate strike to keep the scoreboard moving.

The bowling department: 181 wickets fall

The bowlers had plenty to celebrate, with 181 wickets falling across the 24 innings. Rwanda’s Diane Marie Bimenyimana led the wicket charts with 13 wickets. Her performances included a four-wicket haul against Uganda on November 7, when she returned figures of 4/14, and another important contribution in Rwanda’s other matches.

Ruth Uwimana finished second with 12 wickets. Her four-wicket spell of 4/10 against Uganda on November 11 was among the outstanding bowling performances of the series. She also took three wickets for 10 runs against Namibia on November 12.

Uganda captain Janet Mbabazi was next with 11 wickets, underlining her importance to the Pearls’ bowling attack. USA’s Aditiba Indrajitsinh Chudasama and Sainavi Kambalapalli each collected 10 wickets.

Namibia’s Arrasta Diergaardt also deserves recognition. Her five-wicket haul against USA on November 7, when she took 5/21, was the best individual bowling return recorded in the matches.

Extras: 201 runs gifted away

If there is one statistical area that deserves a closer look from all four teams, it is extras.

201 extras across the tournament- that is almost 10 per cent of the total runs scored, a sizeable contribution that did not come from the batters.

The breakdown was:

• Wides – 129
• Leg byes – 33
• Byes – 26
• No-balls – 13

For bowlers, this is an area that demands attention. Wides and no-balls give the batting side free runs, extend innings and can disrupt the rhythm of an otherwise disciplined spell. In close matches, those additional deliveries and runs can become particularly expensive.

The 26 byes and 33 leg byes also show that not all extras came from the bowlers. Fielding and wicketkeeping contribute to the overall picture, and teams must be sharper in preventing avoidable runs.

How were the wickets taken?

The dismissal figures offer another glimpse into the character of the competition.

Of the 181 wickets recorded, the breakdown was:

• Caught – 84
• Bowled – 42
• Run out – 23
• LBW – 18
• Stumped – 13
• Hit wicket – 1

The high number of catches is evidence that batters were frequently forced into shots that offered opportunities to the fielding side. It also highlights the importance of taking chances when they come.

The 23 run-outs are another interesting figure. They point to the importance of communication, awareness and decision-making between the wickets. In a competition where many totals were modest, losing a wicket through a mix-up or poor running could be particularly costly.

What the numbers say about the four teams

The statistics reveal different strengths across the four sides.

Uganda: The Pearls have a strong core of individual performers, but the team will want more support from the rest of the batting order and greater control over extras.

Rwanda: Rwanda has a strong bowling foundation and important batting contributions, and needs to build on that to be better.

Namibia: Namibia had players capable of changing a match, although their batting totals were not always enough to put opponents under sustained pressure.

USA: USA’s leading contributors were Isani Mahesh Vaghela and Sainavi Kambalapalli. Kambalapalli’s 80 runs and 10 wickets, while Aditiba Chudasama also reached double figures in wickets.

The numbers that matter going forward

For the batters, the challenge is to turn starts into bigger scores, rotate the strike more effectively and find ways to score boundaries when the opportunity presents itself. For the bowlers, controlling wides and no-balls must be a priority. For the fielding units, the 23 run-outs and 13 stumpings show how important alertness and execution can be.

The Victoria Series has had its heavy scorers, its wicket-taking specialists and its moments of fielding brilliance. But perhaps its clearest message is that the small details matter. A wide avoided, a single taken, a partnership extended or a catch held can change the direction of a T20 match.

In a tournament where several games were decided by relatively small margins, the numbers are a reminder that cricket is often won not only through big performances, but through the little things done well.