MBABANE – Eswatini’s perfect start to the ICC T20 World Cup was sensationally shattered as Tanzania handed the national side their first defeat of the tournament.
After a dominant opening victory in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Qualifier, the Eswatini cricket squad were brought back down to earth in a bruising encounter that saw their winning momentum halted. Tanzania proved too clinical for the local side, exploiting tactical gaps to secure a convincing win by 158 runs and leave Eswatini facing a massive reality check.
The result marks a significant setback for the squad, who must now regroup quickly to keep their World Cup dreams alive. Despite the loss, the team remains in contention, but the pressure has mounted ahead of their next crucial fixture.
After resting for a day, they battle with Malawi today before meeting Ghana tomorrow. The tournament will end on Sunday, March 29 with Seychelles playing Eswatini in the first game to be followed by Ghana and Tanzania, with St Helena facing Malawi. The teams are battling for regional supremacy and move a step closer towards qualifying to the next ICC T20 World Cup. The top two teams will qualify for regional qualifiers where Namibia is already waiting.
Eswatini has entrusted a strong squad featuring Mancoba Jele, Melusi Magagula, Banele Mngomezulu, Eric Phiri, Veli Jele and Adil Butt as Captain, to name a few. The squad is under the tutelage of Sohail Khan and led by Eswatini Cricket Association (ECA) Secretary General (SG) Mandla Dlamini as Team Manager.
The ICC Men's T20 World Cup, formerly the ICC World Twenty20, is a biennial world cup for cricket in Twenty20 International format, organised by the International Cricket Council. It was held in every odd year from 2007 to 2009, and since 2010 has been held in every even year with the exception of 2018 and 2020.
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Eswatini player Melusi Magagula preparing to throw his inning against Tanzania. (Pic:Ghana Cricket Association)