In a match that was filled with far more drama than outright quality, USA Women managed to find a way to secure their first win of the Victoria T20 Series to ensure Sainavi Kambalapalli's first innings spell did not go to waste. 

Photo credit: Cricket Uganda

By Peter Della Penna (Twitter/X @PeterDellaPenna)
 
It took until the penultimate ball in the penultimate match of the round-robin phase of the Victoria T20 Series in Uganda, but USA Women finally notched their first win of the tour, narrowly edging out Namibia by one wicket with a ball to spare on Wednesday afternoon at Entebbe. The result also denied Namibia a chance at taking over first place in the quad series after Uganda suffered a shock loss to Rwanda earlier in the day. The combination of Wednesday’s results means three teams are now tied at 3-2 while USA sits in last at 1-4. 
 
Set a target of 97, USA were coasting for the majority of the chase before they nearly threw it away but Taranum Chopra saved USA’s bacon by scampering six of USA’s seven runs required in the final over to finish on 17 not out and help USA over the line. It followed Player of the Match Sainavi Kambalapalli’s performance in the field where the legspinner turned momentum USA’s way with the ball by taking 3 for 16 off four overs, including a double wicket-maiden to finish off her four-over spell. 
 
USA won the toss and chose to field first, making one change to their lineup from Tuesday’s loss to Rwanda. Lekha Shetty came in for Maahi Madhavan and even though Pooja Ganesh remained out of the official starting lineup, Ganesh did make an appearance as a substitute fielder to give hope that she may be fit enough to return to the USA lineup before the end of the tour. 
 
USA’s first chance to end the Namibia opening partnership was left on the table when Ritu Singh could not hold onto a diving effort at mid-on when Kayleen Green drove Jivana Aras loosely in the air on 11. But Green wound up involved in the runout of her opening partner Merczerly Gorases later in the fourth over for 2 when Green stayed put on a cut to backward point as Gorases set off but could not get back to her ground in time to beat a relay from Chopra to Aras over the stumps to make it 16 for 1. Four balls later, Sune Wittmann checked a drive against Geetika Kodali and sent a floating catch to Shetty at mid-on for 2 to make it 18 for 2. Green’s stay in the middle finally ended in the ninth over for 23 when she backed away from her stumps trying to punch Shetty through cover and wound up being bowled to make it 43 for 3. 
 
The fall of the fourth wicket began a string of extremely favorable umpiring decisions that went USA’s way on the day. Mekelaye Mwatile was looking solid while striking three boundaries on her way to 20 off 20 balls when she was given out stumped after slightly overbalancing on a loopy full delivery from Kambalapalli resulted in her foot briefly coming off the ground. Replays indicated that Mwatile had grounded her foot in plenty of time before Ella Clardige whipped the bails off, but Claridge’s appeal was upheld anyway by the striker’s end umpire, leaving Mwatile confused and on her way back to the dugout at 54 for 4 in the 12^th. 
 
Kambalapalli bowled a maiden in the 14^th to Edelle van Zyl and then finally dislodged her midway through the double wicket-maiden in the 16^th as a half-hearted drive resulted in a skied catch taken by Kodali diving forward from mid-off for 7 to make it 62 for 5. Arrasta Diergaardt played too early trying to pull a short ball upon her arrival at the crease and wound up being bowled for a golden duck when the ball slowly spun back. 
 
Wilka Mwatile hit Shetty for a boundary to start off an eventual 10-run over in the 17^th to get Namibia moving forward again, but Chopra returned to the attack in the 18^th and induced a skied slog that was taken by the bowler a few feet to the left of the non-striker’s stumps for 15 to make it 79 for 7. Nikhar Doshi fired a direct hit at the non-striker’s stumps in the following over to get new batter Naomi Benjamin for a second-ball duck to make it 87 for 8 before USA captain Aditi Chudasama had Victoria Hamunyela charging down the wicket for a second-ball duck as well with Claridge completing her second stumping of the match and eighth of the tournament to make it 92 for 9. Sylvia Shihepo managed to complete a three off the final ball to finish with a top-score of 23 not out off 15 balls after entering at No. 8 to help Namibia to their final total of 96 for 9. 
 
In addition to Kambalapalli’s figures, Chudasama finished with 1 for 19 while Kodali claimed 1 for 22 as the only other bowlers to finish a full four-over spell. Chopra and Shetty both ended with 1 for 15 off three overs while Aras was USA’s only wicketless bowler on the day after he conceded 0 for 11 off two overs. Singh was never used on the day as USA’s remaining spin option. 
 
USA’s Powerplay struggles continued on Wednesday as they lost three wickets in the space of 13 deliveries to start in a major hole at 20 for 3 in the fifth over, and that doesn’t include another two runout chances in the same stretch. 
 
Chetna Pagydyala was the first to go for 9 on a failed heave across the line to Hamunyela’s spin, making it 16 for 1 in the third. Two runout chances then occurred in the following over bowled by Eveleen Kejarukua. Isani Vaghela survived when a throw went wide of the non-striker’s end on 1. Kambalapalli meanwhile survived on 3 when a direct hit by Mekelaye from extra cover at the non-striker’s end was given not out despite replays clearly showing Kambalapalli being well short of the crease line when the stumps were broken. 
 
However, both misses wound up costing Namibia just the one run for both USA batters. Vaghela started the fifth over by driving Hamunyela low to extra cover where a sharp catch was taken by Mekelaye for 2. Kambalapalli then ran herself out two balls later after calling new batter Claridge through on a ball tapped into the covers when Mekelaye fielded and relayed to the wicketkeeper Gorases to have Kambalapalli short by four yards to be out for 4. 
 
New batter Nikhar Doshi survived a kamikaze attempt at a tap and run single in the sixth over as she punched her fourth ball straight back to the bowler Diergaardt and set off on contact, but Diergaardt’s throw back to the stumps was wild. Rather than have the partnership nipped in the bud, Doshi and Claridge went on to add 38 together for the fourth wicket in the largest partnership of the match. Claridge also received a slice of luck along the way as a very strong lbw shout by Wilka Mwatile was denied on 12 in the 11^th over. 
 
Both batters were dismissed in the space of three balls to start the 14^th over as a chase that had calmed down suddenly turned chaotic once more for USA. Claridge was runout responding to a poor call from Doshi on a drive to extra cover where Diergaardt fielded and relayed to the wicketkeeper Gorases, who took the bails off with Claridge six yards short for 18. Two balls later, Doshi swept Mekelaye’s left-arm spin straight to Wilka at short midwicket for 19 to make it 59 for 5. 
 
On paper, USA was still ahead of the required run rate, which was comfortably under a run a ball, but with USA’s middle and lower order struggling all tour, there was no guarantee they’d get across the line. Ritu Singh started the next over by powering a four over deep midwicket to kickstart a 10-run 15^th over and it looked like USA was back in control with 25 needed to win off the last 30 balls. 
 
But the wheels fell off just as quickly in the 16^th over. Singh played an unnecessary heave to Mekelaye’s left-arm spin and was bowled for 9. Two balls later, Chudasama drove a catch to Green at extra cover to make it 75 for 7. Aras entered and lasted four balls before she was out bowled for 2 missing a wild slog to Hamunyela in the 17^th to make it 79 for 8. 
 
Chopra witnessed much of the carnage at the non-striker’s end and seeing how feeble her tailend partners were proving to be, she began to regularly sprint from the non-striker’s end well before the ball was bowled. But with an opportunity to run her out in the 17^th, Hamunyela opted to merely abort her delivery for the umpire to signal dead ball rather than take the bails off at the non-striker’s end with Chopra a good four yards out of her crease. Meanwhile, Kodali panicked in the 19^th, running herself out for 3 as Green relayed from midwicket to Wilka over the non-striker’s stumps to make it 89 for 9. 
 
Shetty entered at No. 11 and started to take guard at the striker’s end, highlighting the mental state that USA’s final pair were in at the time. The umpires eventually stepped in and sent Chopra back on strike before the 19^thover continued. After a single on the fifth ball, Chopra nearly ran herself out on the final ball of the over when she bizarrely tried to steal a bye on a swing and miss from Shetty, only to scramble back to the non-striker’s end when Shetty stayed put so that Chopra could be on strike for the start of the 20^th.
 
With seven runs needed to win, Chopra began with a two and a single, taking the risk to put Shetty back on strike. The USA No. 11 came through with a single to get Chopra back on strike with three needed to win off the final three balls. A two levelled the scores before Chopra tapped the winning single to end on 17 not out off 21 balls. Shetty ended unbeaten on 1 off 2. 
 
Hamunyela returned solid figures of 3 for 13 including a maiden in four overs, but was also the bowler who passed up the opportunity to run out Chopra. Mekelaye finished a solid all-round match with 3 for 21 off four overs to go with her 20 in the first innings as well as a catch and a runout. 
 
USA returns to action on Thursday against Uganda in the morning match of the day’s doubleheader while Rwanda faces off against Namibia in the afternoon. The winner of the afternoon match is guaranteed a place in the final. Uganda can also clinch a spot in the final with a win over USA. Should USA beat Uganda, the other spot in the tournament final will come down to net run rate between Uganda and the loser of the Rwanda v Namibia match. Regardless of Thursday’s results, USA will play in the third place match on the final day of the tournament coming up on the weekend.