Botswana Cricket announce squad for Kwibuka Memorial Women’s T20I tournament

Botswana Cricket Association (BCA) have announced the 15-member senior Women’s squad for the upcoming 5-nation Women’s T20I tournament being held in Rwanda from June 06th – 12th, which is an annual tournament intended to pay homage to the victims of the Kwibuka genocide against the Tutsi community in Rwanda in 1994.

Botswana Women will be competing against team’s from Namibia, Nigeria, Kenya and the host’s (Uganda Women withdrew from the tournament) in a single round-robin group stage competition, followed by the semifinals and the finals/third place play-off. Hence, four teams out of the five in the competition will get to play maximum of six T20Is, that will carry ranking points towards ICC Women’s T20I team rankings table. The matches are very crucial for all the countries, as they will again meet each other during the ICC Africa regional qualifiers for 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Botswana.

The Botswana team have been training for a while now on weekends (mostly) under the strict COVID-19 protocol guidelines and played a few inter-squad practice games on the newly laid turf wickets at the BCA Oval, B Field in May 2021 and will be confident of putting up a good show against the much-fancied opponents in the competition. This event will be their first International assignment after their home series against Kenya Women in December 2019.

Botswana Women Squad

Laura Mophakedi (Captain), Florence Samanyika, Shameelah Mosweu, Botho Freemans, Jacqueline Kgang, Amantle Mokgotlhe, Tebogo Motlhabaphuti, Botsogo Mpedi, Bontle Mademabe, Tuelo Shadrack, Onneile Keitsemang, Precious Modimo, Collin Mokibelo, Thapelo Modise and Tebagano Ditshotlo

Botswana Women Inter-Squad Matches

Northern Deltas Women 128/1 in 20 overs (Laura Mophakedi 22, Botho Freemans 20 n.o, Tebogo Motlhabaphuti 1/14) beat Southern Rocks Women 107 all out in 16.4 overs (Botsogo Mpedi 26, Shameelah Mosweu 12, Onneile Keitsemang 3/19) by 21 runs

Southern Rocks Women 112/5 in 20 overs (Florence Samanyika 31, Botsogo Mpedi 15, Amantle Mokgotlhe 12, Onneile Keitsemang 1/17, Botho Freemans 1/20) beat Northern Deltas Women 99/9 in 20 overs (Laura Mophakedi 23, Onneile Keitsemang 11 n.o, Shameelah Mosweu 3/8, Florence Samanyika 3/17, Botsogo Mpedi 1/9, Amantle Mokgotlhe 1/15) by 13 runs

Northern Deltas Women 62 all out in 16.2 overs (Tuelo Shadrack 16, Botho Freemans 15, Botsogo Mpedi 2/8, Tebogo Motlhabaphuti 2/10, Precious Modimo 2/11, Florence Samanyika 1/5) lost to Southern Rocks Women 63/4 in 11.5 overs (Florence Samanyika 27, Onneile Keitsemang 1/10, Collin Mokibelo 1/18) by 6 wickets

Southern Rocks Women 77 all out in 17.5 overs (Shameelah Mosweu 17, Florence Samanyika 15, Amantle Mokgotlhe 12, Jacqueline Kgang 1/7, Botho Freemans 1/10) beat Northern Deltas Women 54 all out in 13.1 overs (Amantle Mokgotlhe 3/2, Botsogo Mpedi 2/7, Florence Samanyika 1/7) by 23 runs