Immaculate Nakisuuyi knows the Victoria Pearls have some work to do with the bat if they are to make their 2026 Victoria Series campaign more comfortable.

Despite Uganda picking up their second consecutive victory with a narrow six-run win over neighbours Rwanda at the Lakeside Oval in Entebbe, Nakisuuyi believes their batting remains a concern after another difficult afternoon at the crease.

The all-rounder, who was named Player of the Match, was modest about her own contribution, instead praising her teammates for fighting to put runs on the board.

“I don’t think I had a good innings when we were batting. My teammates, my fellow players, tried their best to contribute runs and put runs on the board. We haven’t come up well in batting, but we are sure we will come up. We still have about five games to go, so we will come up,” she said.

It was another close call for the Victoria Pearls, who had to dig deep to protect a modest total after winning their opening match against Namibia by four wickets.

Uganda won the toss and elected to bat first, but their top order once again struggled to settle, leaving the middle order with the responsibility of rescuing the innings.

Rita Musamali scored 23 while Esther Iloku added 27, with the pair doing much of the repair work as Uganda struggled to find momentum.

The hosts eventually finished on 100/6 in their allotted 20 overs, setting Rwanda a target of 101 runs.

Rwanda started brightly, reaching 29 without loss inside the first five overs and threatening to take the game away from the hosts.

However, Uganda refused to let the visitors build on that promising start. Each time Rwanda attempted to put together a meaningful partnership, the Victoria Pearls found a way to break through with a wicket.

The game went down to the wire, with Rwanda needing 10 runs from the final six deliveries. With most of their recognised batters already back in the pavilion, the responsibility fell on the tail, which struggled to complete the chase.

Uganda held their nerve when it mattered most, conceding just 10 runs in the final 12 balls when Rwanda needed 17. Those two overs proved decisive, bringing the visitors’ hopes of a comeback to an end.

Nakisuuyi was central to the victory, contributing with both bat and ball. She scored 11 runs from 11 deliveries at a strike rate of 100 before claiming two wickets for 16 runs in her bowling spell.

But while Uganda celebrated another victory, the all-rounder was quick to identify why their matches have continued to go down to the final overs.

Asked why the team had found itself in such tight contests in consecutive matches, Nakisuuyi did not hesitate to point to the batting department.

“It’s basically because of our batting. We haven’t been in a position to put up a big number of runs on the board, but we are sure we know what we are supposed to do and we are going to keep working on that,” she explained.

Beyond the performance on the field, Nakisuuyi also acknowledged the supporters who turned up in bigger numbers at the Lakeside Oval, saying their encouragement gave the players an extra push.

“First, I will give thanks to the fans that came around. They were really pushing us. They were giving us morale, so they contributed to the win. As well, the team stayed together. We kept on communicating, and I mean, that’s it,” she said.

The victory keeps the Victoria Pearls unbeaten after two matches and makes them the only side yet to drop a game in the competition.

Their next assignment is against USA Women on Sunday, November 8, at the Lakeside Oval. The Americans head into the encounter searching for their first victory after losing to Rwanda on the opening day and Namibia on the second day.

The message from Nakisuuyi is that the bowling and team spirit are delivering, but the batting must improve.

“We are looking at scoring plenty of runs, so it’s just one ball at a time. We will just stay focused and see what God prepares for us,” she said.

The home supporters will also be keeping an eye on Kampi Nainhabo, who could make her much-anticipated debut for the Victoria Pearls against the USA as the defending champions look to make it three wins in a row.

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Rwanda Women National Cricket team captain Diane Marie Bimenyimana believes her side has only itself to blame for its six-run defeat to Uganda’s Victoria Pearls, insisting that failing to execute their plans while chasing cost them a chance to make it two wins from two at the 2026 Victoria Series.

Rwanda had done much of the hard work with the ball, restricting the defending champions to 99 for six in 20 overs at the Lakeside Oval in Entebbe on Saturday. However, their batting response fell short, with the visitors managing 93 for eight in their allotted overs.

Reflecting on the defeat, Bimenyimana acknowledged that her bowlers did their job but admitted the batters failed to make the most of the opportunity.

“With a good first inning, we were able to restrict them to not go past 100. But in the second inning, when we were chasing, we didn’t execute ourselves in the middle. That’s where we fell short for today’s game,” she said.

It was a frustrating afternoon for Rwanda, particularly after their encouraging start to the competition on Friday, when they beat USA Women by 14 runs to register their first victory of the series.

Bimenyimana had won the toss in that opening match and elected to bat, although her own innings ended without scoring. She made up for it with the ball, taking two wickets for 12 runs to help Rwanda defend their total.

Alice Ikuzwe was equally impressive, claiming three wickets for 14 runs in 3.2 overs to walk away with the Player of the Match award.

Against Uganda, Bimenyimana again showed why she remains an important figure in Rwanda’s bowling attack, producing an excellent spell of four wickets for 14 runs in four overs.

Uganda captain Janet Mbabazi had won the toss and elected to bat, but Rwanda’s bowlers kept the home side under control throughout much of the innings.

Mbabazi fell for three runs, trapped leg before wicket by Rosine Irera, before Bimenyimana took charge of the attack.

The Rwanda captain dismissed Stephanie Nampiina for 14, Proscovia Alako for eight and Rita Musamali for 23, before returning to remove Immaculate Nakisuuyi for 11.

Musamali had provided some resistance with her 31-ball knock, while Esther Iloku remained unbeaten on 27 from 35 deliveries to help Uganda reach 99 for six.

Malisa Ariokot was the other dismissal, run out for three in the final over. Uganda’s total included 10 extras, with Irera contributing one wicket for 14 runs in her four overs.

With 100 runs required for victory, Rwanda appeared to have a manageable target, but Uganda’s bowlers made life difficult for them.

Fanny Utagushimaninde offered some resistance with 17 off 29 deliveries, while Shakila Niyomuhoza top-scored with 21 from 20 balls. Gisele Ishimwe added 10, but the wickets kept falling at crucial moments.

Rwanda slipped to 47 for four after the dismissals of Ishimwe, Clarisse Umuntoniwase, Utagushimaninde and Merveille Uwase, leaving the chase increasingly difficult.

Ikuzwe managed six before falling to Asumin Akurut, while Henriette Therese Ishimwe also scored six before being caught behind off Immaculate Nakisuuyi.

Niyomuhoza’s dismissal for 21 in the 19th over further damaged Rwanda’s hopes, and although Bimenyimana stayed unbeaten on eight alongside Rosine Irera, who finished on two not out, the target proved just out of reach.

Rwanda ended on 93 for eight, six runs short of Uganda’s total. Nakisuuyi was Uganda’s leading bowler with two wickets for 16 runs in four overs and Player of the match. 

Sarah Walaza, Mbabazi, Consylate Aweko Nimungu and Akurut claimed one wicket each, with Walaza conceding 16 runs, Mbabazi 23, Aweko Nimungu 16 and Akurut 13.

For Bimenyimana, however, the defeat is not a reason to lose confidence in her team’s overall performance. With another match coming up, she wants her players to put the disappointment behind them, remain positive and enjoy their cricket.

Asked what Rwanda needed to improve against Namibia, she pointed to the importance of better execution in the middle.

“It’s just a few mistakes, like the way I say it. It’s only the midfielders to just make sure that they execute themselves and stay positive,” she said.

“To make sure that they just enjoy themselves when they are on the pitch there. That’s the only thing we have to correct tomorrow. Otherwise, all other departments are doing very well.”

The captain has also been one of Rwanda’s most reliable performers with the ball, taking two wickets against the USA before improving that return to four against Uganda.

She puts her success down to keeping things simple, maintaining a consistent line and making the stumps a constant threat to opposing batters.

“Just staying on one line and making sure that I put the Stumps into play,” she explained.

“And make sure that I make them come into play. If they don’t swing their bat into the game, I will be the one in the business. That’s the only thing I’m doing very well in this tournament.”

Rwanda will have little time to dwell on Saturday’s defeat as they turn their attention to Namibia Women on Sunday, November 8.

The match, scheduled for 9:30 a.m., will be their first morning fixture of the tournament after playing their opening two games in the afternoon.

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Victoria Series | Matchday One

• Game 1: Uganda 74/6 beat Namibia 73/9 by 4 wickets
• Game 2: Rwanda 100/8 beat USA 86 all out by 14 runs

Uganda’s Victoria Pearls held their nerve to hold off a determined Namibia side in a low-scoring thriller in the morning clash of the Victoria Series.

In overcast conditions at the Lakeside Oval in Entebbe, Uganda won the toss and elected to bowl first. Despite a strong start by Namibia Captain Sune Wittmann, especially against the slow medium pace of Sarah Walaza, a good passage of play edged the Victoria Pearls ahead, with Malisa Ariokot (3/9) the destroyer-in-chief and Consy Aweko (2/20) among the wickets.

The Capricon Eagles were on the ropes at 36/5, but a rear-guard resistance from Naomi Benjamin (20) helped them put on an emotional total of just 73/9 in their quota of 20 overs.

In the run chase, Namibia pegged back the hosts, losing their captain, Janet Mbabazi, on the second ball of the innings, with Proscovia Alako and Stephanie Nampiina not staying long either.

The Victoria Pearls were railing at 18/4 until two small partnerships anchored by Rita Musamali (42 not out) and involving Immaculate Nakisuyi and Kevin Awino got the required target within sight.

The hosts managed to cross the line to bring up their first win of the tournament and a morale-boosting performance.

Rita Musamali (42 not out) won the player of the match award for her fine batting performance under pressure.

The performance might not have been ideal, but the result counts a lot because it’s against an opponent who is in their side mirror in the global rankings.

In the other game of the day, Rwanda managed to resist a late surge from the USA to win by 14 runs.

A spirited team performance in the first innings helped the Americans restrict Rwanda to just 100 runs in their quota of 20 overs, but their run chase was hurt by the regular loss of wickets.

Rwanda got an important win that should give them morale ahead of the East African Derby against Uganda on Saturday afternoon.

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