Lesotho’s national cricket team suffered a heavy 110-run defeat to Mozambique in the second match of the Eswatini T20 Tri-Series at Malkerns Country Club Oval on Tuesday.
Mozambique posted a formidable 217/6 in 20 overs after Lesotho won the toss and elected to field first. In reply, Lesotho were bowled out for 107 in just 15.3 overs.
Joao Hou was the star of the match, smashing a blistering 126 off only 55 balls (10 fours and 11 sixes) to earn Player of the Match honours. His explosive knock powered Mozambique to a total that proved far beyond Lesotho’s reach.
Lourenco Solomone provided solid support with 28 off 14.
Lesotho’s bowlers struggled to contain the Mozambique batters on a batting-friendly surface. Malei Khauta and Lefulere Monanthane picked up two wickets each, but leaked runs at over 8 and 11 runs per over respectively.
In their chase, Lesotho never recovered from a shaky start. Top scorer Lebona Leokaoke made 17 off 16, while Maaz Khan (16 off 7) and Gladwin Thamae (17 off 15) provided brief resistance. Captain Yahya Jakda scored 8 before the innings folded quickly.
Mozambique’s bowlers shared the spoils effectively, with Jose Bulele claiming 3/23 in four overs and Egas Ndzeute taking 2/17. Joao Hou also contributed with the ball, picking up 1/12.
The result left Lesotho with two losses from two matches in the series and a challenging net run rate. Mozambique earned two crucial points from the victory.
Lesotho will look to bounce back when they face Eswatini later in the tri-series as they continue building experience in regional T20 competitions.
Match Summary
- Mozambique 217/6 (20 overs) – Joao Hou 126
- Lesotho 107 (15.3 overs)
- Result: Mozambique won by 110 runs
The heavy defeat leaves Lesotho searching for improvements as the tri-series continues in Eswatini.
The tournament features hosts Eswatini, Lesotho and Mozambique in a round-robin format, with the top two teams progressing to the final scheduled for June 8.
Summary
- Lesotho’s national cricket team suffered a heavy 110-run defeat to Mozambique in the second match of the Eswatini T20 Tri-Series at Malkerns Country Club Oval on Tuesday.
- The result left Lesotho with two losses from two matches in the series and a challenging net run rate.
- The tournament features hosts Eswatini, Lesotho and Mozambique in a round-robin format, with the top two teams progressing to the final scheduled for June 8.
Lesotho activist and journalist who is the Chairperson of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Lesotho. He is an International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumnus.
Boloetse is driven by the need to protect and promote the rights of others, especially the marginalized segment of society. He rose to prominence as an activist in 2018 when he wrote to Lesotho communications Authority (LCA) asking it to order Econet Telecom Lesotho (ETL) and Vodacom Lesotho (VCL) to stop charging expensive out-of-bundle rates for data when customers’ data bundles get depleted.
