LEONARD Nhamburo opened his account as Rwanda women cricket team coach with an eight-wicket win against Botswana in the Kwibuka T20 International Tournament at the Gahanga Stadium in Kigali.
Hosts’ Rwanda decimated Botswana for a paltry 29 runs all out inside 10.1 overs thanks to a disciplined bowling spell from Immaculee Muhawenimana and Alice Ikuze.
Muhawenimana opened the floodgates as the strike bowler taking three wickets for nine runs in 2.1 overs. Still, second change Ikuze bowled even better, taking the same number of wickets for just five runs in three overs and was duly named player of the match. Ikuze received her accolade from the World Bank Group Country manager for Rwanda, Rolande Pryce.
Belyse Murekatete picked two wickets for six runs from two overs. At the same time, Henriette Ishimwe took a wicket to complement Rwanda captain Sarah Uwera’s call to field first after winning the toss.
In response, the Rwandan skipper Uwera had the easiest of tasks of leading from the front, scoring an unbeaten 10 runs. In comparison, Diane Bimenyimana, batting at four, weighed in with four runs as Rwanda made 31 runs for the loss of two wickets in 5.2 overs.
Nhamburo, the former Zimbabwe women’s cricket team assistant and ex-Namibia ladies cricket head coach who jetted into a national lockdown in Rwanda in January, said it is a wonderful feeling to start off with a win.
“Every win is important, especially at this level; look, the team last played international cricket in 2019, and it’s also my first tournament with them in charge of the team, so it’s an awesome feeling, but credit to the girls for putting up a good show,” Nhamburo told EnterSportNews from Rwanda.
“The difference between winning and losing this encounter, I would say, is the hard yards we have put in during the fitness sessions that we focused more on during the lockdown period with the guys having to lose weight and working on their strength and speed techniques.”
Rwanda faces Nhamburo’s former paymasters Namibia in the afternoon tomorrow (Monday), hoping to replicate the same winning mentality. The tournament is a perfect platform for the Zimbabwe firm Oracle Sport’s contracted coach to assess and build his team.
“I don’t mean to brag about anything but the team is destined for greater heights, they’re going to be a team to watch soon watch this space, there’s great potential I see in them, and they all want to work to achieve a common goal, so I’m seeing them being on top soon,” added Nhamburo.
“My era with Namibia is done and dusted, I have since moved on, and I have managed to play against Zimbabwe what more Namibia? We have more depth in terms of batting and quicker bowlers, so we will use them tomorrow.”
