When the Victoria Pearls boarded their flight to Bangkok for the inaugural ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy last month, they knew they were entering deeper waters.
What they did not fully appreciate – at least until the tournament unfolded – was how narrow the margins had become at this level of cricket, and how ruthlessly their opponents would exploit every lapse.
Uganda finished sixth out of eight nations, posting two wins (against PNG and Tanzania) and five defeats. But as head coach Deus Muhumuza argued, the final standings tell only a slice of the story.
‘We won two out of seven,’ he said, ‘but it could easily have been four. You can’t let your guard down at this level. The difference between winning and losing is one lapse of concentration.’
That razor’s edge defined their campaign.
The glaring gap
One of the most striking admissions came not from the technical bench but from the players themselves.
‘We can play these big teams,’ batting all-rounder Stephanie Nampiina said candidly. ‘But we lose wickets too fast because we fear to hit their balls. Meanwhile, they bowl straight, smart, and without fear.’
Former captain Consy Aweko echoed the sentiment.
‘The big teams here play with belief,’ she said. ‘Their batters improvise, they take risks, they attack. We hold back because we fear getting out.’
The truth, spoken plainly, has long hovered around Uganda’s women’s cricket: immense talent often shackled by conservative instincts.
In Bangkok, that hesitation cost them dearly, especially in the Powerplay. Uganda lost early wickets in five of their seven matches, repeatedly allowing opponents to dictate tempo.
Mbabazi: ‘We punched our weight’
Yet, within the turbulence, captain Janet Mbabazi saw pockets of resilience that must be nurtured.
‘I think we punched our weight,’ she said. ‘There were so many positives. Proscovia (Alako), Nampiina, and some of the other girls came to the party. We just need to handle pressure moments better and bounce back more consistently.’
Mbabazi herself finished as Uganda’s top scorer with 119 runs – a reflection of her own calm amid the chaos.
Her leadership was most evident after thumping defeats to world No.16 UAE (by 10 wickets) and No.12 Thailand (by eight wickets) after the Ugandans set basketball scores. Instead of folding, the Pearls – ranked 17th in the world – rebounded to edge Papua New Guinea by four runs and sweep aside Tanzania by seven wickets.
That bounce-back ability, Mbabazi believes, may be the most valuable trait to emerge from the tour.
Nakisuyi: ‘Reading conditions is everything’
If Uganda had an all-round force to bank on with main contributor Ritah Musamali failing for once, it was undoubtedly Immaculate Nakisuuyi – the tournament’s standout Ugandan with 92 runs and seven wickets.
Her assessment of the step up in level was sharp.
‘Reading and understanding the game is key,’ she said. ‘Against Tanzania I slowed down my bowling, used the surface, and trusted the conditions. We didn’t want a third straight loss and we adjusted well.’
Her ability to shift gears – tactically and temperamentally – was exactly what Uganda often lacked in the crunch moments.
Where Uganda improved and didn’t
Muhumuza says the team is significantly better than it was in January.
‘Some bowlers now have a plan. Some batters understand they cannot just hang around without scoring. We have played 97 competitive T20s this year and we see fight. We see intent.’
The former Cricket Cranes all-rounder, however, struck a measured tone in his assessment, noting that despite the visible progress, several structural deficiencies still need ironing out. ‘
We’re moving in the right direction, but there are habits we must fix if we’re to compete consistently,’ he said, pointing to issues such as spin bowlers tossing the ball too high and failing to grip the wicket effectively. He added that some players drifted from agreed field placements, struggled with their lines under pressure, and even let slip a few crucial chances-areas he believes can be corrected with sharper focus and discipline in training.
Assistant coach Brian Masaba was equally forthright.
‘The gulf is in skills and execution,’ he said. ‘Netherlands, Scotland, UAE – they apply pressure and back it up with good fielding. They don’t allow you back into the game.’
Masaba underscored how top sides share one trait Uganda must desperately embrace: relentlessness.
‘When they were on top of us, they didn’t let go. That’s what good teams do.’
Why Uganda could have won more
Uganda will look back at the tournament knowing they were closer to more victories than the scorecards suggest. The 15-run loss to No.11 ranked Scotland, while chasing a modest 116, stemmed largely from an unproductive Powerplay that left the middle order with too much to repair.
Against 18th ranked Namibia, the 12-run defeat in pursuit of just 83 exposed a few tactical hesitations and a misreading of the conditions that slowed the chase at key moments.
And in the clash with the 14th placed Netherlands, Uganda found themselves about 30 runs short after gifting early wickets and later bowling without the discipline required at that level, ultimately slipping to a six-wicket loss.
Uganda did not lose because they were outclassed. They lost because opponents maximised the moments Uganda let slip.
Muhumuza is adamant: ‘We had chances in four matches. At this level, you take the chance or you lose.’
Rankings don’t lie
Uganda’s sixth-place finish mirrors the broader ICC rankings picture: the VIctoria Pearls hover in the mid-tier of emerging nations – competitive, dangerous on their day, but lacking the sharpness and belief to consistently challenge the top bracket.
Thailand, UAE, Netherlands and Scotland occupy higher rungs for good reason: discipline, consistency, clarity of roles, and deep investment in execution.
Uganda are closing the gap – but still on the chase.
The way forward
As the players take a short festive break before regrouping for an intensified programme in January, the technical bench has outlined a clear pathway for growth.
The focus now is on expanding the player pool to create stronger competition for places, while also developing true specialists who can execute specific roles with confidence.
There is a renewed push to tighten bowling discipline across all formats and to strengthen the group’s mental toughness so they can handle pressure moments better. Above all, the coaches want to inspire a brand of fearless, proactive batting that allows Uganda to dictate games rather than react to them.
Aweko summarised the ultimate lesson: ‘We must avoid playing with the fear of failure.’
In that single statement lies the blueprint for Uganda’s next phase.
In hindsight, the Victoria Pearls left Bangkok – earlier this week – not defeated, but educated. And in international cricket, education is currency – the more you gain, the richer you become on the field.
ICC Emerging Nations Trophy 2025
Game By Game Results – Uganda
Scotland 115/9 | Uganda 100/6
Scotland won by 15 runs
Namibia 83/8 | Uganda 71/7
Namibia won by 12 runs
Uganda 117/4 | PNG 113/7
Uganda won by 4 runs
Uganda 75/8 | UAE 76/0
UAE won by 10 wickets
Uganda 55/10 | Thailand 58/2
Thailand won by 8 wickets
Tanzania 54/10 | Uganda 55/3
Uganda won by 7 wickets
Uganda 111/6 | Netherlands 112/4
Netherlands won by 6 wickets
ICC Emerging Nations Trophy 2025 – Points Table
M W L N/R Pts NRR
1. Thailand 7 5 2 0 10 1.362
2. UAE 7 5 2 0 10 1.278
3. Netherlands 7 5 2 0 10 0.987
4. Scotland 7 5 2 0 10 0.359
5. PNG 7 4 3 0 8 0.026
6. Uganda 7 2 5 0 4 -1.040
7. Namibia 7 1 6 0 2 -1.345
8. Tanzania 7 1 6 0 2 -1.649
TALKING POINT
Mindset Shift – Uganda’s next evolution hinges not on technique alone but on the courage to play with belief, embrace risk and trust their skills under fire.