CASTLE LITE 50-0VER SERIES
RESULT – TODAY
Uganda 68 All Out in 23.5 Overs
Namibia 71 Runs For 3 Wickets in 16.5 Overs
Namibia won by 7 wickets (with 199 balls remaining)
TOMORROW – 50 OVERS
Uganda vs. Namibia,
Trustco United CC, 10.30am
Captain Brian Masaba and coach Laurence Mahatlane offered no excuse for Cricket Cranes listless display in the humbling 7-wicket loss to Namibia in the first of the two 50-over Castle Lite Series at Trustco United Cricket Club oval in Windhoek today.
Having gone down 2-1 in the T20 International Series that climaxed on Sunday, Uganda were looking for a fast start in two-match series but their hopes met an uncertain blip.
Masaba lost the pivotal pre-match toss and Namibia’s captain of the day Nicol Loftie-Eaton asked the Ugandans to bat on tricky surface.
Uganda had to make do with a brand-new wicket that offered palpable assistance to the bowlers. The wicket with green grass patches proved a tough test as the East Africans collapsed for a basketball score – 68 all out in 23.5 overs.
Only two Ugandans registered double figures; left-hand opening Simon Ssesazi with 24 runs from 22 balls and all-rounder Riazat Ali Shah with 12 runs from 16 balls with extras (10) being the third highest source of runs in the first innings.
Ssesazi looked to have read the seaming conditions well and looked like he had adapted only for him to get dismissed in one of the weirdest ways – hit wicket – as he slipped and stepped onto his stumps after playing a shot and scampering off for a quick single.
Masaba accepted that the match had been played on a spicy wicket but that Uganda had improved over time and were far better than the day’s return whereas Mahatlane openly told his troops that the performance was unacceptable and they needed to show better in tour’s final match tomorrow.
Namibia’s elderly statesman Craig Williams was unbeaten on 36 runs off 51 balls as he guided the Eagles home in 16.5 overs with the scoreboard on 71 but it was 17-year-old Dylan Liecher who took the Man of Match award after a spell of 3 for 5 in 6 overs.
Uganda’s bowlers didn’t fare too bad either with superb spells from Richard Agamire (1 for 8 in 3), Dinesh Nakrani (1/22 in 6) and 19-year-old Juma Miyagi (0 for 10 in 5) that had restricted Namibia to 25 for 3 in 7.5 overs.
The other positive from Uganda’s camp was opening batsman Emmanuel Hasahya who made his senior team debut after a couple of years on the fringes.
*Source: Cricket Cranes media.
