Uganda men’s national cricket team, Cricket Cranes solidified their historic triumph against Zimbabwe on 26 November by securing a decisive victory over Nigeria on Monday, dispelling any notion of luck at the T20 World Cup Qualifiers Africa in Namibia.
Batting first, Nigeria failed to hit triple-digital scores as they were bowled out for 99 runs. Five of their top six batters managed to get starts but failed to convert it into a big score.
Uganda had an early hiccup when they lost opener Simon Ssesazi in the fourth over but Ronak Patel (60) and Roger Mukasa (28) ensured there were no more scares. They stitched an unbeaten 77-run stand to take their team home by nine wickets with 15 balls to spare.
The win puts Uganda in the second spot as they leapfrog Kenya on net run rate. They have two more matches to go and if they can hold on to their top two spot, Uganda will have punched their tickets for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Cricket Cranes’ fans were ecstatic with their team’s victory and took to social media to express their joy and support for the team. The team’s success has raised hopes of securing a spot at the global meet and the fans are eagerly looking forward to their next match against Kenya on Wednesday.
Cricket Cranes have undoubtedly shown their potential to perform at the highest level in the ongoing T20 Cricket World Cup qualifier. Their victory against Nigeria has boosted the team’s morale, and they will undoubtedly continue to strive for excellence in their future matches.
Game 4 – ICC T20 World Cup Africa Final*
Nigeria 99 all out in 19.1 overs
Joseph Adedeji 23 off 29
Isaac Danladi 16 off 13
Sulaimon Runsewe 15 off 23
Dinesh Nakrani 3 for 21
Bilal Hassun 2 for 12
Alpesh Ramjani 2 for 20
Uganda 100/1 in 17.3 overs
Ronak Patel 60 off 52
Roger Mukasa 28 off 40
Simon Ssesazi 6 off 13
Peter Aho 1 for 8
Uganda won by 9 wickets (with 15 balls to spare)
Man of Match: Dinesh Nakrani
Next Fixture – Wednesday – November 29
Uganda vs. Kenya, 3.30pm
@Wanderers Cricket Ground
