Another close finish...but still we come 2nd
Gahanga Stadium, Kigali, 2/27/2020
Rwanda U19 won by 4 wickets
Strongroom: 72
Rwanda U19: 73-6
View the Scorecard
We returned from another tremendous lunch in the Gahanga pavilion and prepared ourselves for the second T20 on the same day, against the same opposition. Could we level things after that super over defeat?
David P won the toss and in no time we were again out in the middle in a contest. However, opening bowlers Parfait and Althimo again impressed with their accuracy, pace and movement, and after five overs we were in real trouble at 20-4. Only J.Gower (16) and Clinton (19) managed to get into double figures, and we were disappointingly bundled out for 72 in just 15.4 overs. Rwanda U19s were clearly buoyed by their super over victory, and exploited our hesitancy with the bat. Their ground fielding was again disciplined and demonstrated the merits of consistent training. This was by some measure our worst performance with the bat on this tour.
Rwanda U19s started off quite cautiously, and after 10 overs were well positioned at 36-1. However, excellent spells from Arif and Clinton kept them in check, and pressure started to gradually accumulate. Clinton in particular moved up a couple of gears and bowled with angry, fiery pace, forcing Jimmy to take the ball at shoulder height. Clinton and Mitch were outstanding in the field, at point and in the covers, with both showing their lightning-fast reflexes with their hands. Joe was reintroduced to the attack at just the right time, and he snaffled three wickets, ending with figures of 4-3-2-3. After 18 overs Rwanda were 67-6, and while we had done really well to make inroads, our paltry total was just not enough to maximise the pressure. The match was taken into the final over, but the U19s kept their nerver and calmly steered their ship home. Again we were disappointed with the result, but we had at least taken the game to a close finish.
Written By: J.Gower
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