The Victoria Pearls will be looking to qualify for the Global T20 Women’s World Cup qualifiers in their own backyard (Entebbe oval) as they battle seven nations. The Victoria Pearls won this particular tournament in 2017 in Namibia and now seek to do the same on home soil.
Uganda is in Group B alongside Namibia, Rwanda and Nigeria. The Victoria Pearls will start their campaign against Rwanda on Sunday 9th, follow it up Namibia on Tuesday and finish their group games against Nigeria. Group A has Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya and Botswana.
Victoria Pearls’ final 14 includes six players who were part of the success in 2017, Kevin Awino, Rita Musamali, Consy Aweko, Janet Mbabazi, Immaculate Nakisuyi, Stephanie Nampiina and their experience will be key in helping the squad qualify.
Consy Aweko will be leading the side and she will be assisted by Janet Mbabazi. Youngsters Lorna Anyait and Malisa Ariokot get a nod in the team and their exuberance of youth should add some much needed energy to the group. Proscovia Alako and Esther Iloku who just finished their senior six exams are available for selection.
Lawrence Ssematimba is the Head Coach of the team and will be assisted by Lawrence Ssempijja, Tugume Imam (Physiotherapist), Deus Muhumuza (Team Analyst) and Mary Nankinga (Team Manager) complete the technical team.
“We have a great group of players, I would like to thank Uganda Cricket Association for being intentional about our preparations this year. The girls got contracts in March this year and that was in preparation for this tournament. We have had atleast three international tournaments that helped us prepare against some of the sides that are coming to Kampala. We have prepared well and I am sure if we do our basics right we shall be able to qualify for the Globals – Head Coach Lawrence Ssematimba”
Uganda have quietly gone about their business in the build-up to the tournament. Two camps in Jinja, Eastern Uganda with an earlier one in Entebbe have helped build team camaraderie with the youngsters getting to spend more time with their senior counterparts in between holiday breaks from the arduous school obligations.
The Victoria Pearls will draw their inspiration not only from the senior men’s team that broke the jinx and qualified for their first World Cup event but also from the fact that they have ever been to one Global event – Netherlands 2018.
To reach Netherlands, Uganda pulled off a heist to stun Zimbabwe in the 2017 Africa Qualifier. But years have rolled by and their partisan fans will demand nothing short of qualification.
Over the last 12 months, the winning mentality has been regained as witnessed with series victories in Nepal, the home Victoria Series and in Windhoek at the Capricorn Quadrangular with their only blemish being the loss to Rwanda at Kwibuka in Kigali last June.
Their vice captain Janet Mbabazi and captain Concy Aweko have the most runs and wickets at 797 and 86 respectively for the nation. If close friends Immaculate Nakisuyi, Proscovia Alako and Stephannie Nampiina can get going early on in the tournament as well as the towering pace bowling duo of Evelyn Anyipo and Irene Alumo, then Uganda should be very hard to beat at home.
The Final 14: Consy Aweko (Captain), Janet Mbabazi, Kevin Awino, Rita Musamali, Stephanie Nampiina, Immaculate Nakisuyi, Evelyn Anyipo, Irene Alumo, Proscovia Alako, Esther Iloku, Malisa Ariokot, Lorna Anyait, Sarah Akiteng, Patricia Malemikia
The Officials: Lawrence Ssematimba (Head Coach) , Lawrence Ssempijja (Assitant Coach), Imam Tugume (Physiotherapist), Deus Muhumuza (Team Analyst), Mary Nankinga (Team Manager)
