TZ makes strong statement ahead of cricket final
HARARE: TANZANIA has made a strong statement ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Regional Final 2025, securing back-to-back victories in their warm-up fixtures in Harare, Zambia this week.
In their latest outing on Wednesday, Tanzania comfortably defeated Kenya by six wickets, chasing down their target with composure.
Ajith Augustin led the way with a composed halfcentury, scoring 50 off 39 balls, while Abhik Patwa offered strong support with a valuable 39-run knock. The pair anchored the innings confidently, ensuring the chase never lost momentum.
The bowling attack also stood out, with Khalidy Juma delivering a matchwinning performance of 3 for 10, earning him the Player of the Match accolade. Ally Kimote further tightened the screws with figures of 3 for 21, as Tanzania’s bowlers’ restricted Kenya and laid the foundation for the win.
This followed a narrow one-wicket victory over Nigeria on Monday, where the Tanzanian side chased down a modest target of 84, reaching 84 for 9 in 19.2 overs after bowling Nigeria out for 83 in 17.4 overs.
Despite the close finish, Tanzania’s bowlers once again impressed. Laksh Bakraina, recently promoted from the U-20 side, delivered a superb spell, claiming 3 wickets for just 11 runs in his four overs.
Nigeria’s Peter Aho posed a challenge with the ball, taking 3 for 15, while Isaac Danladi (31 off 33) and Ridwan Abdulkareem (14 off 25) offered resistance with the bat.
Tanzania’s depth in both batting and bowling will serve them well as they prepare to face some of the region’s top cricketing nations. They are set to compete against Namibia, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Botswana in the Africa Regional Final, which will be held in Harare, Zimbabwe from 26 September to 4 October.
The tournament will determine the final qualifiers for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka between February and March. Fifteen nations, including South Africa, have already secured their spots, with only a handful of places remaining.
