Victoria Pearls returned to the ultimate stage in type, beating hosts Namibia by 17 runs to win the 2026 Quadrangular Capricorn Collection and present their rising standing amongst Africa’s main girls’s cricket groups.
Whereas many Ugandans had set sights the 2026 Commonwealth Video games in Glasgow, the Victoria Pearls have been quietly chasing silverware in Windhoek, Namibia.
The event, performed from July 21 to 30, introduced collectively Uganda, Namibia, Tanzania and Hong Kong-China in a double round-robin format earlier than the highest two groups met within the remaining.
It was Uganda’s first worldwide task of 2026. Their final journey exterior the nation had been the Ladies’s Rising Nations Trophy in Thailand in November 2025, the place they completed sixth. In addition they missed this yr’s Kwibuka Match, making the Capricorn Collection their solely likelihood to compete internationally this season.
The Victoria Pearls made it rely, successful all 4 matches towards Hong Kong-China and Tanzania, dropping solely twice to Namibia within the group stage earlier than incomes one other shot on the hosts within the remaining.
A kind of victories got here in emotional circumstances towards Tanzania. Uganda have been comfortably positioned at 116 for 2 after 16.4 overs when Tanzanian fielders Nasra Saidi and Hudaa Omary collided closely whereas chasing the ball.
One participant was knocked unconscious and carried off on a stretcher, whereas the opposite limped off the sector. Each have been rushed to hospital, prompting a shaken Tanzanian facet to forfeit the rest of the match as participant welfare took precedence.
The end result confirmed Uganda’s place within the remaining, the place they produced their greatest efficiency of the event.
Head coach Dues Muhumuza and assistant coach Brian Masaba watched their facet play with confidence and composure towards a Namibian crew that had overwhelmed them twice earlier within the competitors.
After dropping the toss, Uganda have been requested to bat first and captain Janet Mbabazi led by instance. She anchored the innings with a cultured 61 off 56 balls, hitting 9 boundaries, whereas Stephanie Nampiina offered a quick begin with 27 from simply 16 deliveries.
When Uganda briefly stumbled from 62 for one to 104 for 3, Ritah Musamali and Esther Iloku calmly rebuilt the innings. Musamali completed unbeaten on 31, Iloku added an unbeaten 15, and Uganda closed on a aggressive 146 for 3.
Namibia began their chase steadily by captain Sunè Wittmann and Mezerly Gorases, however Uganda’s bowlers by no means allowed the hosts to settle.
Consylate Aweko produced the breakthrough spell, taking three wickets for 20 runs, whereas Malisa Ariokot claimed two wickets. Teen Asumin Akurut, one of many new faces within the squad, eliminated the damaging Wittmann for 33 to swing the competition firmly Uganda’s method.
Namibia ultimately completed on 129 for six, handing Uganda a deserved 17 run victory and the event title.
Uganda’s fielding was equally spectacular. Esther Iloku accomplished a pointy stumping, whereas Janet Mbabazi, Rita Musamali and Malisa Ariokot held essential catches because the Victoria Pearls maintained stress all through the innings.
The title was constructed on some sturdy performances for the Pearls, Immaculate Nakisuuyi performed a few of Uganda’s most explosive innings, together with an unbeaten 43 off 22 balls towards Namibia and 33 off 21 towards Tanzania.
Mbabazi constantly delivered with each management and the bat together with bagging the Participant of the Match within the remaining with 61 runs off 56 balls, whereas Proscovia Alako laid the muse for Uganda’s marketing campaign with a match successful 38 towards Hong Kong-China.
Musamali additionally stepped up when it mattered, scoring 37 towards Tanzania earlier than ending the ultimate unbeaten, whereas bowlers Sarah Walaza and Irene Mutonyi stored issues tight all through the event with disciplined spells.
The event additionally marked the Uganda’s recall of Child Victoria Pearls gamers Jimia Mohammed Abdallah and Asumin Akurut into the senior squad.
Jimia got here in to switch long-serving wicketkeeper Kevin Awino, though Esther Iloku stored wicket all through the event. Kulume changed Naume Jane Amogin, whereas Akurut justified her choice with an essential wicket within the remaining.
Past lifting the trophy, the victory may have an enduring affect on Uganda’s future.
Each T20I win contributes to a crew’s ICC rating by a ranking system primarily based on the power of the opposition. Beating a facet like Namibia is predicted to enhance Uganda’s factors tally and strengthen the Victoria Pearls’ long run push in the direction of gaining One Day Worldwide (ODI) standing, a milestone additionally not but achieved neither by them or Uganda’s males’s crew (Cricket Cranes), too distant however close to.
Within the ICC girls t20 rankings, Uganda’s Victoria Pearls are seventeenth behind Zimbabwe Ladies who lay sixteenth.
To summarize all of it, the crew that had waited months for a world task, the journey to Windhoek may hardly have gone any higher since Victoria Pearls are set to return dwelling to play the Cricket Uganda Ladies Nationwide League beneath their respective groups with renewed perception that they’re transferring in the best path.
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