In a thrilling showdown during Uganda’s tour of Sri Lanka, the Uganda men’s national cricket team, Cricket Cranes clinched a historic victory against the Sri Lanka Development Team in the third game of the series on Friday. This marked their first victory on the tour after three matches.
Cricket Cranes, showing remarkable prowess, set a formidable target of 214/6 in their allotted 20 overs. Ronak Patel and Alpesh Ramjani led the charge with spectacular innings of 47 runs each, supported by Simon Ssesazi (32 runs) and Kenneth Waiswa (20 runs). Notably, Bilal Hassun’s explosive cameo of 13 runs off just 3 balls added crucial momentum to Uganda’s innings.
Facing a challenging target, the Sri Lanka Development Team fought valiantly, with Sandun Weerakkoddy leading the charge with a blazing 60 off 29 deliveries, ably supported by Dinura Kalupahana’s 31 off 21 balls. However, Uganda’s bowlers, spearheaded by Bilal Hassun’s exceptional spell of 4 wickets for 55 runs and Dinesh Nakrani’s impressive 3 wickets for 23 runs, managed to contain the Sri Lankan batsmen.
In a nail-biting finish, the Sri Lanka Development Team fell short of the target, posting 206/9 in their 20 overs, resulting in Uganda XI’s historic victory by 8 runs. This triumph marks Uganda’s first win against the same opposition after three matches, showcasing their growing prowess on the international cricket stage.
The win serves as a boost for Uganda as they gear up for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Uganda’s T20 World Cup journey will unfold in Guyana and Trinidad. They kick off their campaign against Afghanistan on June 3 in Guyana, followed by clashes against PNG and hosts West Indies on June 5 and June 8 respectively. Their final group stage match will be against New Zealand in Trinidad on June 14
