With a shortfall in their quest to qualify for the main tournament, Uganda had one job left, to finish on a high at the 2026 ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier Division 1.
And yes, the Baby Victoria Pearls wrapped up their tournament with a commanding 7-wicket victory over Rwanda to finish third at the Estim, TCA Cricket Arena on Saturday.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl first, Head Coach Brian Masaba’s side delivered a disciplined bowling performance to restrict Rwanda to 73/9 in their allotted 20 overs.
“I’m happy to finish in a middle position, finish third, but of course still disappointed we didn’t make it to the final and have a chance to qualify for the World Cup. But you know, in the long run, the more important objective is to get these girls to understand cricket at a deeper level and see how many we can get to step up to the senior level,” Masaba stressed.
Sheirah Namagoba spearheaded the attack with a magnificent spell, bagging 3 wickets while conceding just 5 runs in her 4 overs, including a maiden.
She was supported by Blessing Noeline Apio, who picked up 2/11, while tournament Most Valuable Player Sarah Tino, Mischelle Ariago, and Devine Gabriella Nyamer kept the pressure on a struggling Rwandan batting lineup.
For Rwanda, captain Fanny Utagushimaninde led the batting effort with 21 runs off 19 balls to help set a target of 74.
In the chase, Mary Namiiro struck an unbeaten 38 off 33 balls—featuring four boundaries—guiding the team alongside Sarah Tino, who chipped in with a patient 20 off 38 deliveries.
The Baby Victoria Pearls comfortably reached 74/3 in 16.1 overs, securing the 7-wicket win and rounding off the tournament in Dar es Salaam with a podium finish.
“A couple of names have put their hands up for the team, and they’re showing very promising signs. Hopefully, if we can stick to the process and continue developing them, we’ll see a lot of them represent the Victoria Pearls in the near future,” Masaba noted.
