HUDAA Mrisho exhibited her batting heroics as Tanzania's senior national women's cricket team finished third in the 2025 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier after dispatching Uganda by six runs in the third-place playoff in Namibia last Saturday.

It was Tanzania's second successive win over the same opponents, given that there was earlier a slim one-run win for Tanzania when the two teams took on each other in the opening game. 

Top-order batter Hudaa (pictured) was, once again, in fine form as Tanzania raced to 109/5 in their allotted 20 overs once they won the toss and chose to bat first at the Namibia Cricket Ground. 

The cricketer, slotted in at number four, made her way back with 45 runs not out in a spell which witnessed the player grab four fours and a six. 

She was, consequently, Tanzania's batter with the most runs in the showdown, having garnered 151 runs in five encounters, settling for the fifth spot in the leading run-getters' list. 

Opening batters, Saum Godfrey Mtae and Neema Justine, seemed to have regained their batting resoluteness in the third-place playoff against Uganda, having contributed encouraging two-digit scores. 

Neema ended up with 33 runs at a strike rate of 76.74, and Saum chipped in with 15 runs at a strike rate of 115.38. 

It happened to be a relief for the promising batting duo, given that it experienced disappointing moments in the semi-final loss to Namibia last Friday. 

The top-order batters seemingly successfully brushed off a frustrating spell that seasoned cricketer Fatuma Omary had at the crease, as she could so far notch two runs off six knocks.  

Hudaa had a solid partnership with middle-order batter Nasra Nassoro, seeing to it that Tanzania winds up the innings with a competitive total that they successfully defended. 

Seasoned player Consy Aweko took 2-14 in her four-over quota when Uganda fielded, turning out to be the only bowling unit member with a noteworthy effort. 

Women's cricket encounters between Tanzania and Uganda have always been pulsating affairs, and the Africa Qualifier's third-place playoff was no exception. 

Uganda's showing during the chase substantiated such a sentiment, given they played their hearts out, only to lose steam with seven runs needed from the remaining eight balls to post a victory. 

Tanzania's bowling unit struck an early blow to Uganda's batting unit, snatching the wicket of team skipper Janet Mbabazi, who was one run short of two digits in her brief stay at the crease. 

Reliable run-getters, Esther Iloku and Rita Musamali, staged a fightback that aimed at giving Uganda stability, but their efforts could not bail the team out. 

Esther was the batting team's cricketer with the most runs, scoring 45 runs at a strike rate of 100.00, whereas Rita chipped in with 18 whilst clearing the boundary on four occasions. 

Efforts to mount a successful chase were undone by the squad's remaining batters' failure to prove their worth. 

They regularly kept dropping wickets, with other key performers, Stephanie Nampiina, ending with just seven runs, and Proscovia Alako contributing just six runs. 

Nasra Nassoro had Tanzania successfully containing the Uganda batting unit, having gallantly led her squad's bowling attack by notching 3-20 in 3.4 overs. 

She dashed away Uganda's hopes of turning around their fortunes by sending back low-order batters, Sarah Akiteng and Kevin Amuge.   

Nasra was solidly backed up by equally impressive efforts by Mwanamvua Hamis and Agnes Qwele, as Mwanamvua posted 2-20 and Agnes wound up with 2-21. 

Zimbabwe won the Africa Qualifier's top honour after thrashing Namibia by nine wickets in the final, with both securing progression to the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier slated for January 12-February 2 in Nepal. 

Rwanda garnered a six-run win over Kenya to settle for the fifth spot, and the day, moreover, had Nigeria ending seventh, having trounced Sierra Leone by 85 runs. 

The 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier will be a women's international cricket tournament that will be held from January 12- February 2, 2026, in Nepal. 

It will be the seventh edition of the Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier and will serve as the final qualification tournament, in which the top four teams will qualify for the 2026 Women's T20 World Cup. 

The matches will be held at the Lower Mulpani Cricket Stadium and the Upper Mulpani Cricket Stadium in Mulpani, Kathmandu.