Nigeria and Rwanda have set up a high-stakes final after contrasting semi-final victories on Day 6 of the championship, with Nigeria overpowering South Africa and Rwanda surviving a tense chase against Zimbabwe.
The spotlight fell on Nigeria’s Lilian Ude, whose spell not only dismantled South Africa’s batting lineup but also earned her Player of the Match honours and a landmark career milestone of 150 wickets.
Nigeria overwhelm South Africa with ruthless bowling display
Nigeria Women’s U-19 produced an all-round performance to defeat South Africa Women’s U-19 by seven wickets in a one-sided second semi-final.
South Africa opted to bat first after winning the toss, hoping to draw inspiration from their earlier Super Over thriller against Nigeria. Instead, they ran into a relentless Nigerian bowling attack that reduced them to 6/5 in just 3.4 overs.
By the end of the powerplay, South Africa had crawled to 16/5, and their innings never truly recovered. Modest contributions from Ashley Barnard (15 off 30), Daneli Boshoff (16 off 12) and Jae Leigh Filander (13 off 23) only delayed the inevitable.
Lilian Ude led the charge with a sensational spell of 3 wickets for 6 runs in her four overs, while Peace Usen supported effectively with 2 for 18. South Africa were eventually bowled out for just 66 in 17 overs.
Chasing 67, Nigeria remained composed and clinical. Victory Igbinedion set the tone with 18 off 12 balls, while captain Lucky Piety ensured there would be no late drama, striking 18 off just 8 deliveries, including two sixes off her first two balls. With support from Amusan Kehinde’s 15 off 31 balls, Nigeria reached 67/3 in 9.5 overs.
Ude’s match-defining performance earned her the Player of the Match award.
Rwanda hold nerve to edge Zimbabwe in tense first semi-final
Earlier, Rwanda Women’s U-19 secured their place in the final with a five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe Women’s U-19 in a closely fought contest.
Zimbabwe, after winning the toss and choosing to bat, suffered an early setback when Nicolette Nyika fell in the opening over. Belove Biza then steadied the innings with an impressive 67 off 50 balls, supported by Tadiwa Garutsa (17), Larraine Pemhiwa (18) and Christina Mutasa (31 off 23) as Zimbabwe posted 135/4 in 20 overs.
Rwanda’s reply was assertive from the outset. Giselle Ishimwe’s fluent 37 off 24 balls laid a solid foundation before captain Marie Diane Bimenyimana anchored the chase with a composed 34 off 41 deliveries.
Despite Zimbabwe’s late attempt to trigger a collapse, Rwanda held firm and crossed the line at 136/5 in 19.2 overs. For her calm, match-winning innings, Bimenyimana was named Player of the Match.
Final set for Nigeria–Rwanda showdown
The results set up a compelling final between Nigeria and Rwanda. Nigeria arrive with a fearsome bowling attack in top form, while Rwanda bring proven resilience under pressure, promising a gripping championship decider.
By Arinzechi Chukwunonso
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