Margaret Ngoche or Margaret Banja (born 2 November 1981) is a Kenyan cricketer[1] and a former captain of the Kenya women's cricket team.[2] Several of Ngoche's family members have played for the Kenyan team, including her brothers Lameck Onyango, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Shem Ngoche and James Ngoche, and her sister Mary Bele.[3][4][5] Prior to playing cricket, Ngoche also played football for two years.[6]

Margaret Ngoche
Personal information
Born (1981-11-02) 2 November 1981 (age 43)
Nairobi, Kenya
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm medium
Relations
International information
National side
T20I debut (cap 7)6 April 2019 v Zimbabwe
Last T20I23 January 2022 v Malaysia
Career statistics
Competition WT20I
Matches 18
Runs scored 284
Batting average 20.28
100s/50s 0/1
Top score 73
Balls bowled 138
Wickets 5
Bowling average 26.40
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 3/14
Catches/stumpings 7/–
Source: Cricinfo, 24 January 2022

Ngoche was part of the Africa squad for the women's edition of the 2007 Afro-Asia Cup in India,[7] and Kenya's team for the UAE International Women's T20 tournament, which took place in 2016.[8]

In April 2019, Ngoche was named in Kenya's squad for their first ever Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) matches, in the 2019 Victoria Tri-Series in Uganda.[9] Ngoche made her WT20I debut on 6 April 2019, for Kenya against Zimbabwe at the Lugogo Cricket Oval in Kampala, top-scoring for the team with 27 runs.[10] The following month, Ngoche was named as Kenya's captain for the 2019 ICC Women's Qualifier Africa tournament in Zimbabwe.[11][12] In Kenya's second match of the tournament, against Sierra Leone, Ngoche was again the top-scorer for the team, with 73 runs,[13] and she was named as the player of the match.[14] In May 2021, Ngoche was again named as the captain of the Kenyan team, this time for the 2021 Kwibuka Women's T20 Tournament in Rwanda.[15] Following the conclusion of the tournament, Ngoche was named as the captain of the team of the tournament,[16] selected by the Rwanda Cricket Association.[17]

In January 2022, Ngoche was named captain of Kenya's team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games Cricket Qualifier tournament in Malaysia.[18][19]

References

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  1. ^ "Margaret Ngoche". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Failed expectations and shattered dreams for women cricket players". Africa Press. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  3. ^ "Family ties which shaped Kenyan cricket from the days of yore". The Star (Kenya). Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Six-a-side, from the Ngoche family". The Indian. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Five brother-sister pairs who played cricket". Cricket Country. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Margaret Banja". East Africa Character Development Trust. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  7. ^ "Non-test players dominate African women's team". Cricket Europe. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  8. ^ "UAE off to winning start in women's tournament". Gulf News. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  9. ^ "Kenya and Zimbabwe confirm squads for Victoria Series". Kawowo. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  10. ^ "1st Match, Kampala, Apr 6 2019, Victoria Tri Series". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Women set to take centre stage in Africa Qualifier". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Women set to take centre stage in Africa Qualifier". Cricket World. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Namibia upset champions Uganda in Harare". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Group B, Harare, May 6 2019, ICC Women's T20 World Cup Africa Region Qualifier". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Five teams set to battle it out in the Kwibuka T20 Tournament". Women's CricZone. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  16. ^ "Kenya win fourth Kwibuka Women's Twenty20 title in Kigali". Daily Nation. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  17. ^ "Global Game: Kenya win the Kwibuka T20 Women Tournament, beat Namibia in Finals". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  18. ^ "Malaysia to host 5-nation women's 2022 Commonwealth Games qualifier". Czarsportz. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  19. ^ "Five-team Commonwealth Games Qualifier set to commence". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
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