The Malawi U19 Women’s Cricket National Team has made a strong start in the ongoing ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup sub-regional qualifiers, securing three wins out of three matches to top Group A with 6 points.
In their first match, Malawi defeated Eswatini by 9 wickets, with Eva Kabwere earning the Player of the Match title after taking 6 wickets, conceding only 5 runs, and bowling 4 overs. The team continued their winning streak in the second game by overcoming Sierra Leone by 8 wickets. Mercy Dimba was named Player of the Match for her impressive performance, scoring 36 runs off 31 balls with a batting strike rate of 116.
In the third match, Malawi triumphed over Mozambique by 10 wickets, with Lucy Malino being voted Player of the Match after taking 3 wickets, giving up just 6 runs, and completing 4 overs.
These results place Malawi at the top of the standings with 6 points from three games, followed by Kenya and Botswana, each with 4 points from two games. Mozambique holds the fourth position with 2 points after three games, while Sierra Leone, Eswatini, and Lesotho occupy the fifth, sixth, and seventh positions, respectively, all without points.
Initially, the teams were divided into two groups, Group A and Group B. However, they have now been merged into a single group of seven teams. The top two teams will automatically advance to the next stage of the qualifiers, the Division 1 Africa Qualifier, where they will face teams like Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania. From there, only one team will earn a coveted spot in the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled for 2025 in Malaysia.
Next up for the Malawian team is a match against Botswana tomorrow at the Gahanga Oval Stadium in Kigali. Leading the squad is captain Katrina Chingaipe, who has already made her debut with the senior national team.
The Malawi National Council of Sports extends its best wishes to the U19 women’s cricket team.