Wednesday, November 17
First Match:
Kenya 161/7
Uganda 160/9
*Kenya win by 1 run
Second match
Uganda 147/9
Nigeria 50/2 (9.2/9.2 ov, target 63)
*Uganda win by 12 runs (D/L)
Uganda Cricket Cranes registered mixed results as the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier Regional Finals got underway in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Cranes lost a thrilling nail-bitter against Kenya by just a run before needing weather intervention to overcome Nigeria in the Afternoon match.
Uganda faces Tanzania on Thursday morning, who won two from as many matches on Tuesday, before Nigeria on the same day.
The four-nation tournament in Kigali is a qualification pathway for the 2022 ICC T20 Cricket World Cup due next year in Australia.
Winner of the ongoing Regional Finals will book the only slot to the Global Qualifiers early next year.
In the morning game, Uganda almost pulled off a heist against rivals Kenya in a game that lived to the billing.
Uganda needed 20 runs in the last over to overturn Kenya’s 161/5. Deus Muhumuza hit Collins Obuya for six in the first ball of the last over and he continued to attack with a boundary in the third delivery.
But Obuya made amends to give away just a run in the next three deliveries and Muhumuza’s six in the last delivery could not force even a super over as Cricket Cranes fell short.
In the second match, Riazat Ali Sha’s 39 and an unbeaten 37 from Dinesh Nakrani propelled Uganda to 147/9 total.
Nigeria’s response was halted midway through the ninth over when the clouds opened up, and Uganda clinched a Duckworth Lewis Method victory.
Still To Come:
18 November 2021:
*10:15am: Tanzania vs. Uganda, Gahanga International Stadium
*2:45pm: Nigeria vs. Uganda, IPRC Cricket Ground, Kicukiro-Kigali
20 November 2021:
*10:15am: Uganda vs. Tanzania, Gahanga International Stadium
*2:45pm: Uganda vs. Kenya, Gahanga International Stadium
