The University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) Oval has become the official home of low-scoring thrillers at the ongoing International Cricket Council (ICC) U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup (CWC) Africa Qualifier in Tanzania.
Barring the opening day’s action that was Washed Out by stop-start rains and persistent drizzles, the newly-laid surface at UDSM was the venue as Sierra Leone claimed a big prize scalp of their ‘big brothers’ – Nigeria by 9 wickets in the West African derby on Tuesday.
The men from Freetown weren’t in any freebie-giving mood as they bundled out the Junior Yellow Greens for 73 runs in 27 overs with George Sesay (4/15) and Man of the Match (MOM) Raymond Coker (3/14) doing the damage.
Matchday Three, Tuesday, of the elite six-nation African showpiece that has one ticket to the Junior World Cup in Sri Lanka next year, carried on from the drama of the previous day as Uganda locked horns with the ‘bruised’ Nigerians.
Uganda skipper Fahad Mutagana won the toss and opted to bat first – a decision everyone in the hut must have been ruing after the East Africans got sent back for early showers at 17 for 5 in 10 overs.
But the Baby Cricket Cranes put up a final frontier led by Pius Oloka (17), who combined for small but very important partnerships with the tail-enders as Uganda benefitted from 25 extras to set 69 in 28 overs.
The runs in extras proved to be the difference at the end of the day with Uganda giving away only six as they strangled and suffocated the ‘Young Ogas’ who huffed and puffed to 39 runs all out in 18 overs with Chijioke Okeke top scoring with 14 runs including one boundary and one six.
Once Okeke fell in the 10th over as wicket No.4 with the scoreboard reading 25, there was no turning back for the Ugandan bowlers who went on to claim the last six wickets for a mere 14 runs.
“We had a meeting in the dressing room after the first innings and accepted that those were the runs we put on the board as a team. We all agreed that we would attack with the ball and throw ourselves all over the park in the field and it worked,” said MOM Musa Majid who set up the victory with a lively opening spell of pace bowling during which he scripted impeccable figures of 3 for 7 in 4 overs. Joseph Baguma (3 for 20) and Ali Balidawa (2/5) were the other wicket takers for Uganda.
His captain Mutagana refused to call it a case of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. “We won the second innings and the match. That’s what mattered most. We gave away our wickets cheaply, we know that and we also know that we must do better against Tanzania tomorrow (Wednesday),” said the affable Mutagana.
Uganda prevailed in the low scoring thriller by the skin of their teeth and will feel they got out of jail against a ‘poorer’ side – Nigeria on a day of mediocrity and must shed some skin against host nation Tanzania on Wednesday.
ICC U19 MEN’S CRICKET WORLD CUP AFRICA QUALIFIER
Uganda 69/10 Nigeria 39/10
Sierra Leone 140/10 Kenya 141/6
Kenya won by four wickets
WEDNESDAY’S FIXTURES – 9.30am
Uganda vs. Tanzania, Dar Gymkhana
