Victoria Pearls brace for three-nation challenge

The Victoria Pearls are stepping up preparations to defend their Victoria Series title when Uganda hosts Namibia, the United States and Rwanda in the fourth edition of the women’s T20 tournament next month.

Uganda’s senior women’s cricket team will have home advantage at the Entebbe Cricket Oval, where they hope to build on an impressive year that has already delivered two international titles.

The Pearls are training under head coach Dues Muhumuza, assistant coach Brian Masaba and health and conditioning coach Allan Otim. The players have been going through sessions on the grass and in the gym as the technical team prepares to name the final squad.

The work is intended to ensure the selected players are ready for the challenge when the tournament gets underway.

Unlike last year’s five-match bilateral series against Canada, the 2026 edition will feature four nations: hosts Uganda, Namibia, the USA and Rwanda.

The wider tournament window runs from November 4 to 14, with the women’s T20I competition scheduled for November 6–12 at the Entebbe Cricket Oval.

Uganda will open their campaign against Namibia on November 6 at 9:30 a.m. before taking on Rwanda the following day at 2:00 p.m.

The USA will provide the opposition on November 8 at 2:00 p.m., before Uganda face Namibia again on November 10 at 2:00 p.m. The Pearls will complete their scheduled matches against Rwanda on November 11 at 9:30 a.m. and the USA on November 12 at 9:30 a.m.

Victoria Pearls have a title to defend

Uganda head into the competition as defending champions after delivering a flawless performance against Canada in the 2025 edition.

Under captain Janet Mbabazi, the Pearls won all five matches at the Lugogo Cricket Oval in Kampala to complete a 5-0 whitewash and retain their crown.

They opened with a seven-wicket victory on October 20, 2025, before winning the second match by four wickets a day later.

Uganda then secured an 18-run victory in the third game on October 23 and followed it up with a 43-run win in the fourth match on October 24.

They completed the clean sweep with a 12-run victory on October 26.

The series underlined Uganda’s strength on home soil and helped them maintain their standing in the ICC T20I rankings.

It was also a memorable occasion for Mbabazi, who earned her 100th international cap for the senior women’s team during the final match.

This time, the Pearls face a different challenge. Namibia, the USA and Rwanda will offer varied opposition, forcing Uganda to remain sharp if they are to keep their title.

A competition growing in stature

The Victoria Series has given Uganda’s women a valuable platform to test themselves against international opposition since its first edition in 2019.

The inaugural tournament was a tri-series involving Uganda, Zimbabwe and Kenya. The Pearls reached the final at Lugogo but lost by 25 runs to Zimbabwe.

Despite falling short, the event made history as the first time matches played by Kenya’s women’s team carried official Women’s T20 International status.

Uganda returned stronger in the second edition, held from April 18 to 23, 2023. The five-team tournament also featured the United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya.

The Pearls topped the round-robin standings, highlighted by a thrilling three-run victory over Tanzania. Rain washed out the final between the two sides, leaving Uganda to claim the trophy by virtue of finishing top of the table.

The 2025 edition took a different route, with Canada visiting for a five-match bilateral series. Uganda made full use of home advantage, winning every game to secure a 5-0 series victory.

The fourth edition returns to a multi-nation format, bringing three visiting teams to Entebbe and giving the hosts another opportunity to measure their progress against international opposition.

Another chance to build momentum

The Pearls will arrive with confidence after an encouraging run in 2026. They haven’t played much, but the little they have played has been successful.

They began the year by winning the inaugural Easter Women’s T20 Cup, held in Entebbe from April 7 to 16. Uganda finished unbeaten after sweeping the USA women’s team.

In July, they travelled to Windhoek for the Capricorn Quadrangular Series and returned home as champions after beating hosts Namibia by 17 runs in the final.

Those victories have strengthened Uganda’s position and given the players more experience ahead of another demanding assignment.

The Victoria Series will offer further match time as the technical team works to build combinations and prepare the squad for the challenges ahead.

With preparations continuing on the grass and in the gym, Muhumuza and his assistants will be keen to ensure the players are ready when the final squad is announced.

Uganda will enjoy the advantage of familiar conditions at Entebbe, but Namibia, the USA and Rwanda will be determined to make their presence felt.

The post Victoria Pearls brace for three-nation challenge appeared first on Kawowo Sports.