Cricket: Kwibuka tourney, a good test for W’Cup qualifiers – Oyede

Leke Oyede, Head Coach of Nigeria’s Women Senior Cricket team, says the just concluded Kwibuka Women’s T20 Cricket tournament is a good test ahead of the World Cup qualifiers. Nigeria finished fifth out of nine countries in the tournament in Kigali, however, Oyede said that the position was immaterial as compared to lessons gained by […]

Leke Oyede, Head Coach of Nigeria’s Women Senior Cricket team, says the just concluded Kwibuka Women’s T20 Cricket tournament is a good test ahead of the World Cup qualifiers.

Nigeria finished fifth out of nine countries in the tournament in Kigali, however, Oyede said that the position was immaterial as compared to lessons gained by the squad.

In the week-long tournament, Nigeria defeated the defending champions and the highest ranked team, Uganda, in a nail-biting encounter by 5 runs in the group stage.

The team also fought hard to ensure a two-wicket victory against Tanzania for the first time, in the group stage, though the East Africans were the eventual winners of the tournament.

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“It is not a bad test. We won five games and lost three, coupled with the fact that we didn’t come to Kigali with all our resources (players) due to academic commitments.

“Of course, these commitments are essential for the athletes as much as we want them to play the game and we always encourage that.

“ We are happy that we have got some of the information we need to lead us into the forthcoming T20 Women’s World Cup Africa Qualifiers in Namibia in August,’’ Oyede added.

Nine countries participated in the 11th edition of the tournament from June 3 to June 14, in Kigali, as the event was in commemoration of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. (NAN)