Hosts notch big wins as Africa Qualifiers take a breather
- Botswana down St Helena and Malawi to remain unbeaten• Botswana down St Helena and Malawi to remain unbeaten
- Mohamed Abdulla bags 6 for 12 in Malawi’s first win
- Mozambique also off the mark with 66 run victory over Lesotho
They started off the morning with an 81-run triumph over the plucky St Helena, a win which was built upon a 50 from skipper Karabo Motlhanka, on the way to a total of 144 for five. In response, the islanders produced their worst batting display thus far, as they were bowled out for just 63.
They started off the morning with an 81-run triumph over the plucky St Helena, a win which was built upon a 50 from skipper Karabo Motlhanka, on the way to a total of 144 for five. In response, the islanders produced their worst batting display thus far, as they were bowled out for just 63.
Nabil Master took three for 10 upfront, while Mmoloki Mooketsi wrapped up the tail with three for 5. Before that, Adithiya Rangaswamy was miserly, conceding just 3 runs in three overs, with two wickets.
In their second match, Botswana held off a spirited Malawian team by 15 runs. Contributions from Z Abbas (36) and V Balakrishnan (46) saw them post a workmanlike 158 for five, before Sami Sohail almost held the Malawian chase together.
Ultimately, Botswana's death bowling saw them home, and ended a most satisfactory day.
Elsewhere, Malawi's Mohamed Abdulla took six for 12 in a remarkable spell, to bowl out Swaziland for 99. Abdulla took three wickets in five balls, as he stopped the Swazis in their tracks.
Chasing 100 to win, veteran Muhammad Khurram scored 35 not out, while Sohail chipped in with 30 not out, to see them home by eight wickets.
In the final match of the day, Mozambique secured a comfortable, 66-run victory over Lesotho. Half-centuries by Imran Ismail and Felipe Cossa saw Mozambique climb to 183 for eight. Ismail blitzed 55 off 35 balls upfront, with eight fours and two sixes. Cossa then smashed five sixes and four fours in a brutal 59 off just 29 balls.
Mthimkulu Leporoporo was the lone soldier for Lesotho, with excellent figures of five for 24, amidst the carnage in the chase, Lesotho skipper Sameer Patel struck 36 off 28 balls, but it wasn't nearly enough.
Cossa helped himself to three for 11, to seal an excellent individual performance.
Follow all the action live through https://www.icc-cricket.com/live-cricket/live
The fixtures and more information on the tournament can be found here: https://www.icc-cricket.com/world-t20/qualifier-africa-fixtures/
Highlights and interviews from match day 2 below:
Scores in briefBotswana 144 for five (K Motlanka 50)
St Helena 63 all out ( N Master three for 10, M Mooketsi three for 5)
Botswana won by 81 runs
Botswana 158 for five (V Balakrishnan 46, Z Abbas 36)
Malawi 143 for seven (S Sohail 56)
Botswana won by 15 runs
Mozambique 183 for eight (F Cossa 59, I Ismail 55, M Leporoporo five for 24)
Lesotho 117 for seven ( S Patel 36, F Cossa three for 11)
Mozambique won by 66 runs
Swaziland 99 all out (M Abdulla six for 12)
Malawi 104 for two (M Khurram 35 not out, S Sohail 30 not out)
Malawi won by eight wickets
Points Table
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Tied | No Result | Points | NRR |
| Namibia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6.157 |
| Botswana | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3.65 |
| St Helena | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1.125 |
| Malawi | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -0.26 |
| Lesotho | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1.461 |
| Mozambique | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -3.033 |
| Swaziland | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -4.836 |
Fixtures:
Thursday 1st November
**9:30am:**BCA 1 Mozambique vs Malawi
BCA 2 Namibia vs Lesotho
1:50pm: BCA 1 Botswana vs Swaziland
BCA 2 Malawi vs Lesotho
Friday 2nd November
9:30am: BCA 1 Mozambique vs St. Helena
BCA 2 Lesotho vs Botswana
1:50pm: BCA 1 Swaziland vs Mozambique
BCA 2 St. Helena vs Namibia
Saturday 3rd November
10:30am: BCA 1 Namibia vs Botswana