Kenya Women’s XI registered their first victory in the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association League with a win over hosts Oshwal on Sunday. A brilliant batting display by Perlyne Omamo and good bowling spells from Belinda Maska and Mercyline Adhiambo contributed heavily to the Women XI first win since being incorporated in the league last year to play the men’s sides.
The three gave the side what they had been yearning for and led their team to 19 runs win in the match played at Highride Primary School grounds.
Omamo batted the entire inning - 49 overs and managed to score her maiden half century as the Women XI put on 155 runs -their highest score in the league. She put on a 15 runs opening stand with Sarah Bhakita (2) before Bhakita was caught off Jay Nagda. Margaret Banja (8) added 38 with Omamo to get the scores to 53 before a third wicket stand with Maska added nine. Dun Okinyo, the team coach, scored a quick 25 and ensured the Women XI got their first hundred of the season. Okinyo’s departure- bowled by Hitesh Ngoa paved way to Emily Ruto who added 9 as Women XI surged on to their biggest total so far in the league.
Adhiambo (0), Peris Adhiambo (0), Mary Belle (3) lost their wickets in quick succession before Sylvia followed on with the third duck of the inning. Their previous score in the league last year was 132 against the same side. Omamo’s 50 not out included five boundaries.
Omamo's half century was the third for the Women team after the unbeaten 187 and 86 by Bhakita and Ruto respectively in their record win over Rwanda last year in the East and Central Africa Women Championships.
Josphat Irungu was the toast of Oshwal bowling with three wickets for 17 runs as the innings came to an end with an over to play.
Irungu started the chase with a bang putting on 32 runs in three overs but that came to a halt when he edged to Bhakita off Maska. Bhakita keeping wicket in the absense of Aimee Maria then stumped Hiten Jakhari with the total on 51 for two before Ruto held a low catch at deep mid wicket to get out danger man Nagda for 15 giving Maska her third wicket. While Maska was getting the wickets, Adhiambo was beating the batters with her swing and she was rewarded when she clean bowled captain Mitesh Dephia for nine with the score on 82.
Okinyo got the fifth wicket when Mehul Ghala was caught by Ruth Mwihaki for naught with 69 runs needed for victory. Adhiambo got her second and biggest wicket in her seventh over when she had Mehul Gala caught by Okinyo for naught with scores on 92. Okinyo added the seventh wicket before Mwihaki got two more wickets including tapping Pradeep Patel on 17. Ketul Gudka (21) and Dhiren Bid put on a 20 run stand for the last wicket before Bhakita stumped Gudka for 21 to the jubilation of the team.
Captain Emily Ruto attributed the win to hard work on the field and ability to follow the laid game plan.
“The initial idea was for us to bat all the overs. This worked out well and as a result we were able to get a defendable score. When it came to bowling the plan was again bowl on the stump and let them make the mistake. They made the mistake and we carried the day,”
“Omamo’s inning was actually something that we will remember every time we talk about the win and it was also good for her as she has realized she can bat well on a good day. Her presence in the crease made us strong and I believe if we continue working like this we will be a better team by the end of the season,” she said.
The team's next match is against leaders Parklands and Ruto said the plan will not change.
“Why change?. We will not do anything different from what we did today. It will be for them to change their plans not us. Our plans will be to bowl on the stumps and try and bat all the overs,” she said.
Showing posts with label womens cricket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label womens cricket. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Report from Girls Mini-tournamnent
This report of the Secondary Girls School mini-tournament comes courtesy of Dun Okinyo:
Defending champions Moi Girls Nairobi Girls successfully retained the Cricket Kenya Girls Secondary Schools championships after edging out former champions Kenya High School in a thrilling final on Saturday at Ngara Sports Club.
Batting first, Moi Girls scored 74 runs all out - a total that looked easy target for Kenya High before two quick wickets from Melvin Atieno changed the proceeding of the game for High to lose by three runs. At the time Atieno struck Kenya High looked poised to reach the target as the openers had put on 24 for the first wicket in four overs.
When Atieno bowled out Kenya High openers for five and ten runs respectively in the third over with the scores on 24, this made all the difference in the match as Kenya High never recovered as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. However Whitney Musungi top scored with a slow 18 from 34 balls mainly because she lacked partners to help her out in pushing for the target.
Earlier Rachael Mwikandi had top scored with 24 for Moi Girls despite finding it hard to play Cecilia Ouko who was elected best bowler after taking three wickets. Mwikandi and Mercy Cherop put on a fourth wicket stand of 34 runs. Cherop scored 12 runs. Joan Nyaboke, Vanessa Ogega and Roselyn Maina bagged two wickets each. Moi won the last title when it was last held in 2007 by defeating Huruma Girls. Kenya High last won the event in 2006 and had hoped to win it for the second time but Moi had other plans
Moi's captain said the confidence and proper learning of the game is what made the difference in the match they had been ruled out even before the start. "Nobody gave us a chance to win. I don’t know why but we are happy we have defended our title and we look forward to continue working hard and get it going," she said. Her Kenya High counterpart said her team's failure to win the match was due to the inability to use the scoring opportunities that came their way. “We had many loose balls that we would have scored many runs but we wasted them. But that is a by gone and so we need to shift our attention to the coming event where we promise to do well,” Ogega said.
In the third and forth place play offs St. Teresa’s scored 66 runs with two balls to spare to edge out Kenya High second team which had set a target of 64 for the Eastleigh based school. Joan Kering who was elected the best player of the event scored a quick fire 23 for Kenya High but that was overshadowed by unbeaten 25 from Mildred Sambu. Sambu who won the best batter award had earlier bagged two wickets in Kenya High’s innings.
After the matches, Cricket Kenya boss Tom Tikolo, who watched all the matches, expressed confidence with the way the players had carried themselves on the pitch in the few months since they started playing the game in their schools.
He hoped that most of the players to play in the East and Central Africa under19 and 15 championships later in the year will come from those schools.
With Girls cricket taking shape in other provinces the game is likely to gain in popularity amongst them which will create a lot more competition. The presence of the national team players who umpired the match was a big motivation and it’s only a matter of time before the country has more than five girls teams taking part in their own league. Already a select team is taking part in the NPCA league where over 30 players are fighting for the limited space in the side.
Defending champions Moi Girls Nairobi Girls successfully retained the Cricket Kenya Girls Secondary Schools championships after edging out former champions Kenya High School in a thrilling final on Saturday at Ngara Sports Club.
Batting first, Moi Girls scored 74 runs all out - a total that looked easy target for Kenya High before two quick wickets from Melvin Atieno changed the proceeding of the game for High to lose by three runs. At the time Atieno struck Kenya High looked poised to reach the target as the openers had put on 24 for the first wicket in four overs.
When Atieno bowled out Kenya High openers for five and ten runs respectively in the third over with the scores on 24, this made all the difference in the match as Kenya High never recovered as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. However Whitney Musungi top scored with a slow 18 from 34 balls mainly because she lacked partners to help her out in pushing for the target.
Earlier Rachael Mwikandi had top scored with 24 for Moi Girls despite finding it hard to play Cecilia Ouko who was elected best bowler after taking three wickets. Mwikandi and Mercy Cherop put on a fourth wicket stand of 34 runs. Cherop scored 12 runs. Joan Nyaboke, Vanessa Ogega and Roselyn Maina bagged two wickets each. Moi won the last title when it was last held in 2007 by defeating Huruma Girls. Kenya High last won the event in 2006 and had hoped to win it for the second time but Moi had other plans
Moi's captain said the confidence and proper learning of the game is what made the difference in the match they had been ruled out even before the start. "Nobody gave us a chance to win. I don’t know why but we are happy we have defended our title and we look forward to continue working hard and get it going," she said. Her Kenya High counterpart said her team's failure to win the match was due to the inability to use the scoring opportunities that came their way. “We had many loose balls that we would have scored many runs but we wasted them. But that is a by gone and so we need to shift our attention to the coming event where we promise to do well,” Ogega said.
In the third and forth place play offs St. Teresa’s scored 66 runs with two balls to spare to edge out Kenya High second team which had set a target of 64 for the Eastleigh based school. Joan Kering who was elected the best player of the event scored a quick fire 23 for Kenya High but that was overshadowed by unbeaten 25 from Mildred Sambu. Sambu who won the best batter award had earlier bagged two wickets in Kenya High’s innings.
After the matches, Cricket Kenya boss Tom Tikolo, who watched all the matches, expressed confidence with the way the players had carried themselves on the pitch in the few months since they started playing the game in their schools.
He hoped that most of the players to play in the East and Central Africa under19 and 15 championships later in the year will come from those schools.
With Girls cricket taking shape in other provinces the game is likely to gain in popularity amongst them which will create a lot more competition. The presence of the national team players who umpired the match was a big motivation and it’s only a matter of time before the country has more than five girls teams taking part in their own league. Already a select team is taking part in the NPCA league where over 30 players are fighting for the limited space in the side.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Moi Girls retain Girls Title
Moi Girls School have retained the secondary school girls mini-tournament held at Ngara Sports Club on Saturday. Moi girls defeated Kenya High in a close fought match to take the title. Also impressive were St Terasa's.
While it is great to see events like this organised by Cricket Kenya, once again there is so much more that can be done to promote them. A Press release a day before the event is hardly enough notice to expect anyone to be able to sopport it and there needs to be an improvement in official release of results and scores from such events. These are the future representatives of our country we are talking about. No matter whether girls or boys, out youth must be given every chance and every support there is.
Congratulations to Moi Girls and all the others that took part. Good luck to all the others out there trying to make it!
(information sourced through facebook - apologies to Dun Okinyo for the unauthorised use...)
While it is great to see events like this organised by Cricket Kenya, once again there is so much more that can be done to promote them. A Press release a day before the event is hardly enough notice to expect anyone to be able to sopport it and there needs to be an improvement in official release of results and scores from such events. These are the future representatives of our country we are talking about. No matter whether girls or boys, out youth must be given every chance and every support there is.
Congratulations to Moi Girls and all the others that took part. Good luck to all the others out there trying to make it!
(information sourced through facebook - apologies to Dun Okinyo for the unauthorised use...)
Friday, July 17, 2009
PRESS RELEASE- GIRLS SECONDARY SCHOOL TOURNAMENT & ELITE PROGRAMS COAST VISIT
Cricket Kenya Press Release
Cricket
Meanwhile, during the same period our Under-19 convener and Elite Programs Officer; Martin Suji will be making a visit to the Coast Province to identify talent for inclusion in Cricket Kenya’s Elite programs scheduled for the August school holidays.
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