Cricket coach bemoans batting collapse
Mqondisi Dube | Tuesday June 8, 2021 12:56
Sent in to bat, Botswana folded to 29 all out in just 10.1 overs on Sunday as Rwanda raced to an eight wicket victory. The total is the lowest since October 2019, when Indonesia managed 27 against Brazil.
It was a sorry scorecard, with medium-pacer, Botsogo Mpedi top-scoring with just five runs, while the top order failed to register more than a run. Had it not been for the 15 extras the scoreboard would have looked even more embarrassing.
There was an improvement on Monday when Botswana faced Kenya. Still, the batting was not up to scratch. Botswana managed 69 where Mpedi again chipped in with the bat, scoring 13 runs, in a match in which vice captain, Florence Samanyinka top scored with 18. Despite the improvement, wickets fell at regular intervals and there were no solid partnerships.
Coach Chando said the batting has not gone as planned in the first two matches.
“We are not happy about the two losses, but we have to fight hard in our next fixture. We hope for the best and we still have bright chances to win the next two games and proceed to the semi-finals. Our batting didn’t go as planned, especially during the first match,” Chando said.
“We lost wickets and did not have partnerships and that made us fall out of our plans. But we will fight until the last game and hope for better results,” he added. The local girls anchor the five-team log after the two losses.
At the time of going to press, Botswana was preparing to face a dangerous Namibia side in today’s afternoon kick-off.
Five nations, including the hosts Rwanda, Botswana, Namibia, Nigeria, and Kenya, are taking part in the annual tournament held in remembrance of the 1994 genocide victims. The final is on Saturday.