Malawi Women delivered a commanding performance to defeat Lesotho Women by nine wickets in the second match of the Kalahari Women’s T20 Tournament 2026 at Botswana Cricket Association Oval 2 in Gaborone.
The tournament, which began on April 6 and runs until April 11, saw Malawi, led by Euless Chiralile, take on Maneo Nyabela’s Lesotho side. Earlier, Brazil, captained by Carolina Nascimento, had beaten Botswana by 83 runs in the opening match at Oval 1.
Malawi captain Chiralile won the toss and chose to field, a decision that proved decisive as her bowlers dismantled Lesotho’s batting lineup. Praise Maziya led the attack with figures of 3 for 12 from four overs, supported by Lucy Malino (2/8), Sugeni Kananji (1/3), Sophina Chinawa (1/7), and Elizabeth Mapisa (1/14). Lesotho were bowled out for just 46, with five overs remaining.
None of the Lesotho batters reached double figures, with Boitumelo Phelenyane top-scoring with 8 off 13 balls. The highest partnership of the innings was a 19-run stand for the fifth wicket between Phelenyane and Paballo Pheko, who made 6 off 20 deliveries. Extras also contributed 15 runs to the total.
Malawi Complete Comfortable Chase
In reply, Malawi chased down the target of 47 with ease, losing just one wicket and finishing the job with 15 overs to spare.
Openers Sophina Chinawa and captain Euless Chiralile set the tone with a brisk 42-run partnership. Chinawa made 11 off 14 balls before being dismissed by Maneo Nyabela in the fifth over, which proved to be Lesotho’s only breakthrough.
Chiralile remained unbeaten on 20 off 14 deliveries, striking four boundaries and maintaining a strong scoring rate. Sugeni Kananji then sealed the win, finishing unbeaten on 4 off 3 balls, including a boundary to close out the match.
Lesotho struggled to apply pressure during the defence of a modest total, conceding 12 extras and failing to restrict the scoring rate.
Maziya Named Player of the Match
Malawi’s captain led from the front with the bat, but it was Praise Maziya who earned the Player of the Match award for her decisive bowling spell of 3/12, which set the foundation for a comprehensive victory.
The win marked a dominant start for Malawi in the tournament, with both their bowling and batting units delivering a complete performance.
