- Uganda U19 270/8 in 50 Overs (Abraiz Mir 107, Jackson Asiku 25 | Lee Nyarko 3/46)
- Ghana U19 95 all out (Jacob Ayolehene 26 | Asiku 3/28, Richard Sohera 2/7, Devsnshkumar Patel 2/2)
- Uganda U19 won by 175 runs
Uganda’s Baby Cricket Cranes continued their push for Division One status, beating Ghana by 175 runs in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers-Division Two on Wednesday.
It was Uganda’s third game of the tournament, with the action moving from Gahanga Cricket Oval to Rwanda Polytechnic College, where the players had to deal with a much drier outfield.
Captain Daniel Alex Rubangakene won the toss and had no hesitation in choosing to bat first. The decision paid off as Uganda posted 270 for eight in 50 overs before bowling Ghana out for just 95.
After Devanshkumar Patel opened in Uganda’s first two games, Ronald Rubangakene was allowed to open this time, earning his first cap. He was joined by Samuel Ahaisibwe.
The opening pair took their time early on, relying on quick running between the wickets before Ahaisibwe became the first casualty on the second-last ball of the seventh over.
Lee Nyarko offered little room, and Ahaisibwe eventually fell for 19 off 30 balls after being caught by Ebenezar Ahakutor at mid-off.
Patel walked in and immediately got off the mark with a boundary, but his stay was brief. After just two balls, Stanley Carson bowled him, leaving Uganda 45 for two after 8.5 overs.
Abraiz Mir joined Rubangakene and helped steady the innings. Rubangakene continued to keep the scoreboard moving, driving Nyarko for four on the final ball of the ninth over to take Uganda to 52 for two. The runs continued to come steadily, with Uganda reaching 56 for two in the next over.
Rubangakene was eventually dismissed at 60 for two in the 12th over, bringing Robert Owili to the crease.
Owili, who had starred in Uganda’s previous match against Mozambique, took his time before getting off the mark with his second ball. Together with Abraiz, he helped Uganda reach 88 for three after 15 overs.
The pair continued to frustrate Ghana and took Uganda to 97 for three after 18 overs before the scheduled water break.
Under the blazing Kigali sun, the short break gave the players some relief. When play resumed, Uganda’s running between the wickets remained sharp, and they soon crossed the 100-run mark.
Abraiz then began to open up. He smashed Tetteh’s full toss for his first six of the day and followed it with another boundary as Uganda continued to build a strong total.
Uganda reached 200 before the 40th over, with Abraiz bringing up the landmark with a one-run drive off Carson.
At 222 for five in the 45th over, play was briefly stopped as a Ghanaian player received treatment for an injury. The interruption also gave Uganda head coach Grace Mutyagaba time to speak to the batters.
Rubangakene survived a scare after being run out at 231 for five when he got lost while attempting a third run on Abraiz’s shot. Ghana could not make the opportunity count.
Rubangakene was later caught behind by Derrick Ateak off Nyarko, making way for Kenneth Isiiko. Isiiko immediately added pressure to the Ghana bowlers, getting off the mark with a boundary and supporting Abraiz as he moved closer to a century.
The final over brought plenty of drama. Abraiz struck Annoh for a powerful maximum before being run out by Tetteh after a poor delivery from Jacob Ayolehene.
Richard Sohera joined Abraiz for the final few deliveries and did his part by rotating the strike. He allowed Abraiz to face the ball and the batter duly completed his century with two runs.
His innings ended on the final ball when he was caught at mid-off by Lee Nyarko off Ayolehene. Uganda closed their innings on 270 for eight, leaving Ghana with a huge chase. Nyarko was Ghana’s best bowler, taking three wickets for 46 runs, while Prince Ago, Carson, Annoh and Ayolehene picked up one wicket each.
Ghana’s chase never really got going; Uganda had to wait until the fifth ball of the sixth over for their first breakthrough, with Jackson Asiku trapping Stanley Carson leg before wicket.
The second wicket followed in the 11th over when Yellison Elisha Frimpong was run out after flicking the ball towards midwicket, where Sohera was involved in the fielding effort.
From there, Uganda took complete control. Sohera continued to make life difficult for Ghana, bowling out David Ateak to leave the hosts at 40 for three; he struck again in the 19.4th over, trapping Ariz Sood leg before wicket as Ghana slipped to 51 for four.
Asiku then claimed the fifth wicket on the final ball of the 22nd over, bowling Ateak, who was also caught by captain Daniel Rubangakene.
Nyarko followed in the 24th over after being caught by Samuel Ahaisibwe off Asiku; Patel then joined the party, picking up his first wicket of the innings when Jacob Ayolehene was dismissed in the 25th over.
Ghana were now 67 for seven, and the game was quickly slipping away. Hamidu Munigwa claimed the eighth wicket in the 28.1st over when Kelvin Tetteh was caught off a cut shot by Richard Sohera.
Isiiko then got the wicket he had been searching for, with Annoh caught by wicketkeeper Owili. Patel finished the job with his second wicket of the day, bowling Ebenezer Ahakutor leg before wicket to wrap up Ghana’s innings.
Ghana were all out for 95, giving Uganda a convincing 175-run victory.
For Sohera, the win was a product of a complete team performance, with the bowlers taking advantage of a surface that favoured spin.
“We did well as a team, posted 270 for a loss of eight in the first innings; fortunately, the wicket was spin attack friendly and the boys were up to the task with the help of the pace bowlers; we managed to defend our total,” Sohera said.
He added that the team’s focus is now on finishing the competition strongly as they chase Division One status.
With three wins in three games, Uganda will be back in action on Thursday, August 12, against Sierra Leone at Gahanga Cricket Oval B before taking another rest day on Friday.