Uganda down and out

Ugandan cricket will take nearly 10 months to recover from a big downfall after the Cricket Cranes lost their ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division Three status yesterday.
On a day where spin bowling delivered a near ounce of perfection, familiar sham batting cost the hosts who failed to meet a target of 146 to lose by 13 runs to USA in the final round-robin game at the lakeside Oval in Entebbe.
Uganda eventually crumbled under the weight of expectation to drop to the danger zone in fifth after USA leapt over coach Steve Tikolo’s side on a better Net Run Rate (NRR) after two wins in five matches apiece.
“We are relegated and that’s a valid point,” Davis Karashani admitted. “The hunger in the batsmen has been lacking. It is something we talked about all week. Guys came out thinking may be things were going to be easy.”
The captain Karashani (16 off 56) was the last to depart when he was bowled by Jasdeep Singh (1/4) on the final ball of the 43rd over after a tense 40 minutes he had stuck with Henry Ssenyondo (4 off 42) to hold on for the last wicket.
That moment, at 4:15pm, ensured Uganda went down the drain amid dead silence embedded by surrounding still trees. Only USA cheered on and few of the crestfallen local fans found the meaning in the DJ’s selected hit Just Another Day by Cuban-American Jon Secada. Uganda is now set to play at the 2018 ICC WCL Division Four alongside Bermuda, Denmark, relegated Malaysia and the best two from the WCL Division Five in South Africa come September.
“It is really disappointing,” Tikolo said after another chapter of abysmal batting after stepping out of a quiet dugout. “At the end of the first innings, we should chase that but very many soft dismissals cost us,” the helpless Kenyan legend reacted.
Prior, the nation had featured at this tier of global cricket four times, earning promotion to the WCL Division Two in 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2014. But that greater stage only proved like a hot potato in Uganda’s arms, returning to WCL Division Three as often as promotion came by. Perhaps it had to first get worse before it will get better.
The opening 66-run loss to Canada a week ago and Friday’s six-wicket defeat to Oman had done enough damage to the Cranes’ ship earlier in the competition. But the Americans sent it sinking in a familiar but rather shocking manner.
Opting to stick his opponents in after winning the toss, Karashani had led by example, taking four catches and producing a fine spell of 3/21 and two maidens in 10 overs.
He caught his opposite Steve Taylor (8-run-a-ball) off Frank Nsubuga (1/36) at mid-on after 1.4 overs to tune the pressure early on. Ssenyondo (2/17) had Ibrahim Khaleel (7 off 32) and Sagar Patel (33 off 85) caught behind by wicket-keeper Naeem Bardai.

Yesterday’s results
USA 145/10 Uganda 132/10
(USA won by 13 runs)
Oman 293/7 Malaysia 162/10
(Oman won by 131 runs)
Singapore 166/10 Canada 164/10
(Singapore won by 2 runs)

PLACEMENT games - 9:30am
FINAL
Oman vs. Canada, Lugogo
3RD PLACE-PLAYOFF
Singapore vs. USA, Kyambogo
5TH PLACE-PLAY-OFF
Uganda vs. Malaysia, Entebbe