ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy, 2025
- Uganda-W: 117/4 in 20 Overs (Janet Mbabazi 60*, Immaculate Nakisuuyi 20)
- PNG -W: 113/7 in 20 Overs (Pauke Siaka 39, Henao Thomas 27; Kevin Amuge 2/11, Janet Mbabazi 2/21)
Uganda -W won by 4 runs
After two tough defeats to Scotland and Namibia, Uganda’s Victoria Pearls finally found their spark.
On a warm Sunday morning at the Terdthai Cricket Ground, they fought through every moment, held their nerve in a tense final over, and claimed their first win of the ICC Emerging Women’s Nations Trophy 2025 with a hard-earned 4 run victory over Papua New Guinea.
It was a win crafted from the character, and the steady leadership of captain Janet Mbabazi, who produced one of the most complete performances of her international career.
For the first time in the tournament, Uganda chose to bat after winning the toss, and it immediately felt like a shift in mindset. From the first over, the innings took the shape.
Mbabazi carried Uganda’s hopes on her shoulders, compiling a measured yet authoritative 60 off 58 deliveries.
She stroked five boundaries and lifted one clean six over the ropes, standing firm even as partners came and went around her.
Supported early by Immaculate Nakisuuyi’s steady 20 and later by Stephani Nampiina’s lively 13 off 8 balls, Mbabazi anchored the innings from start to finish.
Photo by: Pankaj Nangia / CREIMAS
By the end of 20 overs, Uganda had reached 117 for 4, a total that felt competitive but far from comfortable.
Papua New Guinea’s bowlers, particularly Henao Thomas and Hane Tau, kept probing lines and quiet spells, but they couldn’t dislodge the Ugandan captain.
In hindsight, her stubborn presence at the crease became the defining difference in the match.
Defending 117 in a pressure game was always going to test Uganda’s nerve, and Papua New Guinea made sure of it.
Captain Brenda Tau kept her side steady with 23 off 35, while Henao Thomas added a brisk 27 off 29 to keep the chase alive.
Then came the real scare, Pauke Siaka’s explosive 39 off just 23 balls. For a moment, the game looked like it was tilting rapidly away from the Victoria Pearls.
But Uganda held on, inch by inch, over by over. Kevin Amuge delivered the kind of spell captains dream about in such moments, finishing with a miserly 2 for 11 from her four overs.
Nakisuuyi chipped in with a crucial wicket, tightening the screws at the right time. And when the moment of truth arrived, it was Mbabazi once again who stood tall, returning with the ball to claim two wickets, including the massive dismissal of Siaka in the final over.
PNG closed on 113 for 7, just four runs short. Uganda exhaled. The first win was finally theirs.
Named Player of the Match, a still smiling Mbabazi admitted the final moments had stretched every nerve.
“The nerves were crazy but the team was behind me and I was hearing them talk, I’m glad it worked out,” she said after the game.
Reflecting on her innings, she added that she simply knew she had to stay at the crease and build partnerships.
“I just needed to stay around there, aided by my partnership with Immaculate and another with Stephanie. In the second innings we had a bit of sloppy fielding but we managed to pick it up.”
Her composure with both bat and ball carried Uganda through.
With their first points on the board and spirits lifted, the Victoria Pearls now shift their attention to Tuesday, November 25, when they meet the UAE at the Asian Institute of Technology Ground.
It’s a fixture that brings back memories of their recent meeting during the Women’s T20 Cup in Entebbe.
