05 Oct 2014

The four-match tour series between Botswana cricket national team and the world famous Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) ended in a draw as the British tourists won the last T20 match by five wickets. 

Botswana was leading 2-1 but failed to conjure victory in the last T20 match of the tour at the BCA Oval on Saturday Octber 4 that would have made them outright winners of the series.

Botswana made 127-8 in the last match after batting first, but they failed to defend their score and MCC easily won the match after scoring 130-5 in 17 overs.

The Londoners arrived in Gaborone two weeks ago and played a 50 overs and a T20 match against the national under-21 team before engaging the senior team in a four-match series.

Imran Khan was the best batsman with 51 runs while Adithya Rangaswamy claimed three wickets as Botswana rallied to win the first of two 50 overs matches by two wickets at the BCA Oval on 28 September. 

MCC had finished the first innings with 227 runs all out after 47 overs, but a good batting performance by the locals with Rangaswamy, Karabo Motlhanka and Nabil Master each hitting five boundaries, saw the target of 228 eclipsed in the 48th over. 

However, the visitors hit 254 runs in the first innings to claim a 32 runs victory in the second 50 overs encounter on Independence Day after Botswana were all out having made 222 runs in 46.5 overs.

The series then went into a T20 format on Thursday night, and after winning the toss MCC elected to bowl first handing Botswana the opportunity to attack first.

Botswana welcomed the opportunity and sailed to an 11 runs victory after hitting an impressive 178-8 in the first innings, with the Londoners only managing 167-6 in the second innings.

Karabo Modise hit 57 runs including nine boundaries to emerge as the locals’ best batsman on the day, but MCC won the second T20 encounter to leave the series level at 2-2. MCC which was founded in 1787 in London, is widely regarded as one of the biggest cricket brands worldwide with membership surpassing 18 000.

The secretary of Botswana Cricket Association, Sumod Damodar said it was the first time in eight years that MCC were touring Botswana.  He said the activities of the tour included coaching sessions in Ramotswa, Mogobane and Molepolole. Ends