No trophy but Mukasa MVP

Cricket Cranes all-rounder Roger Mukasa was voted man of the tournament in Malaysia. Photo by ICC

What you need to know:

Mukasa collected 265 runs from six innings with a highest score of 86 against Bermuda at an average of 52.8 per innings and only fell short of best batsman Malaysian Arjurn Mutreja (282)’s aggregate by 17 runs.

KAMPALA- History repeated itself as Uganda lost to Nepal in the second successive Pepsi International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cricket League (WCL) Division III final.

The Cricket Cranes lost by five wickets to the Asians last year in Bermuda and the tale of the tape was similar as the Nepalese ousted Uganda by 62 runs in a one-sided affair at Kinrara Academy Oval in Malaysia yesterday.

But as Nepal celebrated both on the ground and back in their cricket-mad capital Kathmandu, there were no tears in Uganda’s camp and love lost after Roger Mukasa was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Albeit a slow start, the 25-year-old opening batsman, who battled malaria in the last two days, was easily the most outstanding player of the eight-day showpiece.
Mukasa collected 265 runs from six innings with a highest score of 86 against Bermuda at an average of 52.8 per innings and only fell short of best batsman Malaysian Arjurn Mutreja (282)’s aggregate by 17 runs.

The athletic all-rounder’s tidy part time off-spin deliveries that accounted for 27.5 overs also prized out 13 wickets at a cost of 125 runs, just one scalp behind the tourney’s best bowler Basanta Regmi of Nepal.
In the final, Mukasa snared a six-wicket haul for 27 runs – the tournament’s best bowling figures – as Nepal set a competitive aggregate of 223 in 49.5 overs.
At 23 for no loss, Mukasa (12 off 23) temporarily retired not out but later returned and gave Uganda some hope of winning the final with four boundaries and three sixes in his third half ton of the tournament – a 52-ball 51. When he departed in the 42nd over at 151 for 7, only 10 runs were added to the score as Uganda crumbled for 161 with 35 balls to spare.

But Mukasa had done enough to earn himself a record fourth Man-of-Match award, adding to those notched in victories over Singapore (one run), USA (24 runs after D/L) and Bermuda (seven wickets). Team Uganda returns this afternoon.

Individual honours
MVP
Roger Mukasa (Uganda) - 265 runs & 13 wickets
Best Batsman
Arjurn Mutreja (Malaysia) – 282 runs from seven innings
Best Bowler
Basanta Regmi (Nepal) – 14 wickets
Best Fielder
Paras Khadka (Nepal) – 10 catches
Best Wicket-Keeper
Subash Khakurel (Nepal) – 10 dismissals