- African Games
- Game 1: Uganda v Kenya
- Time: 16:45 EAT
Cricket Cranes will start their hunt for gold at the African Games against their East African rivals Kenya.
Uganda won the last meeting between the two at the T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Namibia but with a different target in sight, recent bias favours no one.
As the Cricket Cranes continue to build up for the World Cup, this tournament allows the technical team to continue testing some combinations. The return of Cosmas Kyewuta allows the technical team to build up his match fitness given that he has been out for over six months. Juma Miyagi returned to the lineup in Sri Lanka and this tournament should be another journey towards building him up ahead of the World Cup.
Uganda are in a tricky Group A but one they should be expected to progress from and make the semifinals. South Africa and Kenya should be the tricky fixtures for them but if they can pick up wins in both games, that should be enough to get them into the semifinals.
The heat in Ghana has been hard on teams from down south who aren’t used to similar conditions and therefore player management will be important to make sure bodies don’t break down.
The wickets also favoured slow bowlers in the women’s tournament and players such as Henry Ssenyondo, Frank Nsubuga and Alpesh Ramjani will be important for the team as the tournament progresses.
The slow wickets will mean that the batters have to make adjustments to their shot selection. Batting consultant Craig Williams will be taking notes as he has a look at the adjustments of the players. Ronald Lutaaya, Robinson Obuya, Fred Achellam and Cyrus Kakuru have a chance to impress as the fight for World Cup places starts to take shape in the absence of Ronak Patel and Riazat Ali Shah.
Kenya have come to the tournament with some new faces but the old wise heads of Rakeep Patel and Collins Obuya are available for selection. Those two have been some bruising battles with Uganda and a win against an old enemy is bitter-sweet for them.
The afternoon clash should be exciting for East Africans and neutral fans.
