- Tournament: Victoria Series (Uganda vs. Canada)
- Dates: October 20th – 26th October
- Venue: Lugogo Cricket Oval
The failure of the Cricket Cranes to qualify for a consecutive T20 World Cup, combined with the immediate departure of their head coach, allowed the failure of the Victoria Pearls in Namibia to slip through the cracks undetected.
The qualifiers are so cutthroat that one game is enough to dent your passage, and that is the fate that befell the Victoria Pearls in Namibia. A loss to Tanzania derailed the whole campaign and the side never recovered, eventually finishing fourth. The one defeat means the side will have to wait for at least two years before getting back to the same level.
The Victoria Pearls are undoubtedly one of the most talented women’s teams on the continent, but the gap below them is quickly closing in, and their competition is making improvements. Therefore, if you have been working at 100% you might need to find 120% effort to make sure you are not kicked off your perch.
The series against Canada should give the ladies and technical team a chance to reset and start again.
Canada is ranked 31st in the world and if numbers don’t lie, they should not be difficult opposition for Uganda. The series will allow the team to find the good times with both ball and bat. If Uganda is brave enough, they can choose to bat first in an effort to be more aggressive and also give some batters some good time out in the middle.
For most of the qualifiers, Uganda was always under pressure; therefore, their batters had little room to express themselves but in a bilateral series, you can afford to let loose. Players such as Proscovia Alako and Stephanie Nampiina barely got a sniff in Namibia but in such a series, you can let them loose.
The Victoria Pearls have not struggled with the ball but they have not been lethal. The bilateral offers this opportunity to improve on their bowling and allow players like Sarah Tino, Teddy Oyella and Naume Amongin an opportunity to take charge of proceedings with the usual suspects waiting in the wings.
Fielding used to be the pride of Uganda but in an era where everyone has to contribute in the field, there has been an edge of casualness in the field, dropping chances at crucial moments and letting balls through. This is a series that gives them a chance as a unit to go back to their standards and make it a habit.
The bilateral is also an opportunity for Deus Muhumuza and Brian Masaba to test the rest of their squad, without Irene Mutoni and Malisa Ariokot, who are sitting their final exams, both of whom played all the games in Namibia. This means the starting XI will be missing two players. Their replacements will give the technical team some perspective on how strong their bench is, as well as give the new players a test of international cricket.
The teams will play five T20Is amongst themselves starting on Monday, with the series concluding on Sunday, 26th, with all the games played in the morning at the Lugogo Cricket Oval.
