- Uganda U19 152 all out in 45.3 Overs (Robert Owili 53, Richard Sohera 31; Dennis James 3/35, Charles Kamara 2/6)
- Sierra Leone U19 54 all out in 28.4 Overs (Charles Kamara 26; Hamid Munigwa 3/6, Jackson Asiku 3/13, Richard Sohera 2/19)
- Uganda U19 won by 98 runs
After a difficult start with the bat, Uganda’s Baby Cricket Cranes recovered through Robert Owilli’s composed half-century before their bowlers took over to bowl out Sierra Leone for just 54 and secure a 98-run victory at Gahanga Cricket Oval A in Kigali on Thursday.
In simple terms, Uganda were made to work for it; the win, the team’s fourth in the ICC U19 Men’s World Cup Africa Qualifier Division 2, confirmed their promotion to Division One alongside Nigeria U19 and Rwanda U19.
Uganda won the toss and chose to bat but quickly found themselves in trouble. For the second consecutive match, Ronald Rubangakene opened batting but fell for four in the fifth over and Devanshkumar Ritesh Patel followed for a duck one ball later. Abraiz Mir Ali then departed for six, leaving Uganda three wickets down for 27 runs.
Samuel Ahaisibwe, who made 12 off 28 balls, was the next to go at 29, leaving Uganda in need of a partnership.
That is where Richard Sohera and Owilli stepped in. Sohera, batting at No.5, showed patience to make 31 off 55 balls, hitting four boundaries before his dismissal at 86. Owilli stayed on to carry much of the responsibility for Uganda’s recovery. The right-hander made 53 off 83 balls, hitting three fours and a six as he guided Uganda beyond the 150 mark despite wickets continuing to fall around him.
Captain Daniel Rubangakene added 10, Kenneth Isiiko made 12, and debutant Adam Kassim finished unbeaten on five. Extras contributed 16 runs as Uganda were eventually bowled out for 152 in 45.3 overs, scoring at 3.34 runs per over.
It was not a huge total, but Uganda’s bowlers made sure it was more than enough. Sierra Leone’s best hope was Charles Kamara, who battled for 26 off 67 balls, including two fours and a six.
Once Kamara was run out at 43, Sierra Leone’s innings fell apart. Kamara walked off in tears, seemingly aware of what his dismissal could mean, and Uganda quickly tightened the screws. Sahr Lebbie made 10 from 54 balls, and Ibrahim K Bangura scored six, but the rest of the batting order struggled against Uganda’s attack. Aliya Kamara and David Lassayo were both dismissed for ducks.
Hamid Munigwa was the pick of the bowlers, taking three wickets for only six runs from 7.4 overs, including three maidens. Jackson Asiku also claimed three wickets, conceding 13 runs in seven overs.
Sohera completed an excellent all-round performance with two wickets for 19 runs, while Devanshkumar Ritesh Patel conceded only eight runs from his five overs.
Once Uganda broke through the middle order, Sierra Leone simply could not recover. They slipped from 43 for four to 49 for eight before Dennis James and Alhaji Marrah were dismissed, leaving Sierra Leone all out for 54 in 28.4 overs.
There was also a moment of frustration in the 25.1 over when Nyakeh John Bull appeared unhappy with batting partner Sahr Lebbie after feeling he had been run out because of him. Bull threw his bat three times as he walked off, before Lebbie fell on the very next ball, caught by Daniel Rubangakene.
For Uganda, however, the bigger picture was about completing another important win.
The 98-run victory was built on patience and nothing else. They survived the early batting collapse, found enough runs through Owilli and Sohera, and then allowed their bowlers to finish the job.
Sohera was rewarded with the Player of the Match award for his 31 runs from 55 balls and his eight-over spell that included three maidens, two wickets and only 19 runs conceded.
For Kassim, meanwhile, it was a day he will remember for a long time; the youngster received his first Uganda cap and later made an unbeaten five off seven balls on debut. After reaching the milestone, he came out to thank Allah.
“I am happy for this chance. I want to thank Allah for it (representing Uganda); it’s a first for many, and as a team today we managed to post 152 and defended it in 28.4 Overs, going on to win by 98 runs.”
With Division One status now secured, Uganda can turn their attention to the final piece of business. Friday, August 14, is a rest day before Uganda face hosts Rwanda at Gahanga Cricket Oval on Saturday.
The final day will determine who finishes top. Uganda currently lead the standings with eight points and a Net Run Rate of 3.608. Nigeria are second on six points with a better Net Run Rate of 3.789, while Rwanda are third, also on six points, with a Net Run Rate of 1.501.
So while promotion is already in the bag, Uganda still have plenty to play for; Owilli is currently leading the tournament batting charts with 234 runs, followed by Ahaisibwe on 180, with Nigeria U19’s Peculiar Egemasi also among the leading scorers.
The bowling charts are led by Ghana’s Stanley Carson with 12 wickets, followed by Rwanda’s Elise Gihozo on 11. Sierra Leone’s Aliya Kamara and Nigeria’s Keneth Boniface are also among the leading wicket-takers, with Uganda’s Munigwa fifth on nine wickets.
The top spot, the leading individual performances and the tournament MVP will all be decided on the final day.