Champagne on ice for World Cup favourites Uganda

What you need to know:

The hosts have scored at a rate of (1002/228.2) = 4.388 hence they have scored 1,002 runs from 228 overs and two balls.
If Uganda gets to 54 runs, Kenya’s NRR will be 1.862 and Uganda’s NRR will be 1.863 hence edging out the hosts to the continent’s lone slot to the World Cup.

NAIROBI. Uganda will make a third appearance at the prestigious International Cricket Council (ICC) U-19 World Cup early next year in New Zealand barring a collapse of gargantuan proportions.
The Baby Cricket Cranes prolonged their 100 per cent record at the ongoing ICC Africa U-19 World Cup Qualifier in Nairobi with a dominant 174-run win over Ghana at the Nairobi Gymkhana Oval on Friday July 7.

Uganda scaled the heights in 2004 (Dhaka, Bangladesh) and 2006 (Colombo, Sri Lanka) with UK-based Clive Kyangungu and Hamza Almuzahim Saleh as the captains of those respective campaigns.
Uganda lock horns with Kenya in a fiery battle at Gymkhana Oval today in what is expected to be an explosive tie with the hosts looking to avenge the 69-run first round loss in the East African Derby.

Uganda boast of a good Net Run Rate (NRR) of 2.820, which 1.144 better than Kenya’s (1.656).
“We deserve to be there (in the World Cup),” Baby Cricket Cranes coach Franco Otieno told Daily Monitor. “Everything has gone our way but no one should believe it has come on a silver platter. We have worked hard for this (glory). Now we want to finish on a high and complete the double over Kenya.”
Coach Jimmy Kamande’s Kenyans, though, have a mathematical chance and cannot be entirely written off of toppling Uganda to the global showpiece in New Zealand .

Permutations
But victory alone will not be enough to take the Kenyans through to the World Cup. A win for Kenya will mean that they end on the same number of points with Uganda (10).
So NRR will be used to determine who tops the table. NRR is difference in the rate a team has scored its runs and the rate at which it has conceded runs against the opposing teams. 8
The rate at which Uganda has scored its runs is (1306/250) = 5.224. It has scored 1,306 runs in five games from 250 overs. And the rate at which Uganda has conceded runs is (601/250) = 2.404. It has conceded 601 runs from 250 overs. This gives a Uganda a NRR of 5.224 - 2.404 = 2.820.
Kenya’s scenario
The hosts have scored at a rate of (1002/228.2) = 4.388 hence they have scored 1,002 runs from 228 overs and two balls. And they have conceded at a rate of (683/250) = 2.732.Kenya has also conceded 683 runs from 250 overs. This gives them a NRR of 4.388 - 2.732 = 1.656.

Say Kenya bats first on Saturday (July 8) and scores 200 runs in 50 overs. That means that overall run rate becomes (1002 + 200) divide by (228.2+50) = (1202/278.2) = 1.865. Please note the 278.2 is 278 overs and two balls, so mathematically its 278.33333.
Now if Uganda is bowled out for 53 runs its NRR falls down to (1306 + 53) divide by (250 + 50) / (601+200/250+50) = (1359/300) divide by (801/300) = 1.860.

However if Uganda gets to 54 runs, Kenya’s NRR will be 1.862 and Uganda’s NRR will be 1.863 hence edging out the hosts to the continent’s lone slot to the World Cup.
But despite this fixture having a lot of maths involved, it will have many subplots as Kenya seek to regain their lost pride.

ICC AFRICA U-19 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
Results – Friday
Uganda 267/9 Ghana 93/10
Uganda won by 174 runs
Kenya 281/8 Botswana 83/10
Kenya won by 198 runs
Saturday’s fixtures – 9.30am
Kenya vs. Uganda, Gymkhana Oval
Ghana vs. Botswana, Jaffreys Oval

Points Table
P W L T Points NRR
Uganda 5 5 0 0 10 2.820
Kenya 5 4 1 0 8 1.656
Ghana 5 1 4 0 2 -1.333
Botswana 5 0 5 0 0 -3.603.