Rwanda 95/9

Rwanda’s rising star Eric Dusabemungu played a sensational knock to help Rwanda reach their first ever semi-final in the ICC World Cricket League Division 3.

Dusabemungu, who received good support from Jasat Mohammed, hit 15 runs to gift Rwanda their second win of the tournament that is being staged in Benoni, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Rwanda will now play Ghana in the semi-finals.

Ghana finished unbeaten in Pool B which also featured Swaziland, Gambia and an invitational side from South Africa who are standing in for Morocco.

After yesterday’s win over Lesotho, Rwanda’s manager Benjamin Manzi is confident the team can go all the way.

"We have probably the best bowling attack in the whole tournament and I’m sure that will work in our favor come Thursday," he confidently said.

2006 finalists Sierra Leone who are also the tournament favorites face South Africa’s invitational side in the other semi-final.

Finals will be played on Friday.

The Rwandan national cricket side has so far won two and lost one game in the on going ICC series.

Victory against Lesotho is another high point of the old timers as they seek to move up in International cricket council status.

"We’ve been comfortable throughout the tournament, whether it has been against Malawi, or against favorites Sierra Leone here, "said former Right Guards captain and national team veteran Hamza Nkuutu.

"It’s just about keeping our heads high with the same things we have shown in the past.

"As a team we have looked for this opportunity since 2004. We have got the required exposure to progress and I think we can get past Ghana."

Rwanda is left with no option but to win game against Ghana if they are to reach the finals.

If Rwanda records a win against the West Africans it will be its first appearance in the finals.

Rwanda was drawn in the toughest group alongside 2006 finalists Sierra Leone, Malawi and Lesotho. In yesterday’s group stage fixtures, Rwanda beat Malawi by 5 wickets.

Sierra Leone who is 2006 finalists has recorded two wins thus leading the group. Rwanda is second after winning against Malawi.

In other group game Sierra Leone over came Malawi to book their ticket into the semifinal to face South Africa.

The ICC World Cricket League is a series of international one-day cricket tournaments for national teams without Test status, administered by the International Cricket Council. All Associate and Affiliate members of the ICC are eligible to compete in the league system, which features a promotion and relegation structure between divisions. Teams were allocated to their respective divisions based on their performance in the qualification tournaments for the 2007 World Cup, the six initial teams in Division One being the teams that qualified for the 2007 World Cup. The series will complete its first cycle in 2007. The second cycle begins in 2008 and acts as qualification for the 2011 Cricket World Cup. It will contain two extra divisions being added to the Global World Cricket League.

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