Lionesses step up preparations for upcoming ICC Division 2 qualifiers

Kenya women’s national cricket side, the Lionesses will later this month (30 August) travel to Gaborone, Botswana where they are set to take part in the ICC Sub-regional Division Two qualifiers scheduled for 2-9 September 2023.

The group of 16 players which has been in camp for the last month is placed in Pool A with the hosts, Malawi and Lesotho and is expected to face all teams in a single round-robin format where the top two sides will book a place in the knock-out rounds that will ultimately decide the teams gaining passage into the continent’s Division One category.

Pool B will have the quartet of Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Eswatini and Cameroon.

The two finalists from the games, all staged in the BCA1 and BCA2 Cricket Grounds, will thereafter qualify for the Division 1 Regional Finals in Entebbe, Uganda where the top two sides will make it to next year’s global qualifiers that will act as a pathway to the 2024 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in Bangladesh.

Kenya’s first fixture will be against Botswana on 2 September (0930 EAT) followed by tests against Malawi and Lesotho on 3rd and 5th respectively.

“Feels good to be back at this stage,” team captain Esther Wangare told Mozzart Sport about Kenya’s return to the ICC stage. “Exciting and anxious because we go into the tournament as the best and top ranked side and you never know what to expect if you go with the mentality of being more superior than the rest.”

Kenya’s was last in this stage in 2018 and after a combination of being out in the cold and having not so good performances in the past assignments, 2023 Kwibuka Tournament in Rwanda and Victoria Cup Series in Uganda, Wangare, who is making her second appearance as Kenya’s skipper, is confident of the team’s chances given the progress they have noted from facing superior sides in the NPCA League for the last few weeks.

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“The non-negotiables like agility, strength-work and some extra push are being adhered to by all team members,” Wangare said of the team improvements, adding that playing for her side -Roaring Simbas - in the new Kenya Women’s League had exposed her to a new look especially with having to face quick spinners.

In the traveling team - to be led by head coach Francis Otieno and his assistant David Asiji - will have Kreeshna Vivek make her debut, with the trio of Daisy Wairimu, Mercy Ahono and Josephine Abwom being recalled after missing the Kwibuka series in June.

FULL SQUAD: Esther Wangare (C), Melvin Khagoitsa (VC), Queentor Abel, Vanessa Adhiambo, Tiara Charity, Lavenda Alivitsa, Mary Wambui, Monica Ndhambi, Flavia Atieno, Marion, Josephine Abwom, Kelvia Ogolla, Kreeshnah Mehta, Judith Adhiambo, Daisy Wairimu, Mercy Ahono.

RESERVES: Mercy Ahono, Faith Mwende.