Women's U-19 World Cup
Rwandan bowler seals historic win in style with extraordinary double hat-trick
|| ICC ||
Henriette Ishimwe produced an over of brilliance to rip through Zimbabwe’s tail and complete a famous win for Rwanda at the ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup.
The all-rounder had earlier batted at number four for her side before taking the new ball with her handy right-arm medium-fast bowling. But Ishimwe’s historic moment came in the penultimate over with Zimbabwe on 80/6 and needing something of a miracle finish to reach their target of 120 to win.
Ishimwe, her hair dyed an eye-catching red, went full and straight with her first delivery of the over to the new batter Kudzai Chigora, who swung across the line and saw her stumps dismantled.
Olinder Cjare was her next victim, trapped in front by an in-ducker.
And the hat-trick ball saw left-hander Chipo Moyo cleaned up by a magnificent yorker, with Ishimwe embraced by her jubilant teammates as the celebrations of a famous win began.
More was still to come for Ishimwe off the fourth ball of her over, as she cannoned a full ball off the back pad of the number 11 Faith Ndlalambi and into the stumps to wrap up the win and complete her brilliant double hat-trick – as four wickets in four balls is typically known.
The moment of magic comes just a day after South African spinner Madison Landsman took the first hat-trick at an U19 Women’s T20 World Cup against Scotland.
But Ishimwe’s contribution has even more contextual significance, completing not just her side’s first win at this tournament, but Rwanda’s first win ever at an ICC World Cup in any format.