Uganda puts up show to defeat Thailand

KAMPALA. Team Uganda has already had a taste of both good and bad at their debut ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier in Netherlands.
From a painful opening nine-wicket loss to Scotland on Saturday, the Lady Cricket Cranes responded in a spirited manner to beat Thailand by four wickets in the Group B encounter played in Utrecht yesterday.

The East African nation’s naivety at the global stage was fully exposed in their ICC T20 international debut when they got bowled out by the Scots led by Racheal Scholes (3/3) for 43 runs in 15.3 overs.
Those innings were only delayed by captain Kevin Awino who top-scored with 13 runs and as many dots after four ducks. Sarah Bryce breezed through for Scotland with 36* to reach 47-1 with 79 balls remaining.
Having easily laid the carpet for the Scottish to majestically walk in Amstelveen, Uganda’s coaches Francis Otieno and Grace Mutyagaba knew they had their work cut out in the second Group B tie against Thailand at Kampong Cricket Ground.

There was finally response as the team resurrected its chances in the quest for the two available tickets to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup due November in West Indies.
Awino and company indeed made most of the fixture against the lighter opponent, ably stopping the Asians at 67-9 thanks to Immaculate Nakisuyi (2/8) and Gertrude Candiru (2/11). Thailand’s wicket-keeper Nannapat Koncharoenkai was brave enough to make 22 off 37.
With the bat, leg break bowler Suleeporn Laomi’s (3/17) two-wicket over had Uganda’s top-order under her palm at 26-5 in the 12th over.

But big-hearted Nakisuyi, like she did in the warm-up loss to UAE, stood again with a 100 percent strike rate as she made a pivotal 21-run-a-ball.
The player of match was dropped in the field by Wongpaka Liengprasset and would later smash a big lovely six and two boundaries in her 30-run sixth-wicket partnership with Candiru (15 off 19) which oozed ecstasy with 11 balls remaining.
With Ireland having beaten Scotland by nine wickets yesterday, Uganda’s camp will have more of soul searching and dusting of the bats during the rest day today ahead of tomorrow’s tie against the Group B leaders.
Mathematically, Uganda can still progress to the tournament semi-finals on Net Run Rate if they usurp Ireland with a big margin.

ICC WOMEN’S T20 QUALIFIER

RESULTS
GROUP B
Uganda 43/10 Scotland 47/1
(Scotland won by 9 wickets)
Thailand 67/9 Uganda 68/6
(Uganda won by 4 wickets)
Thailand 92/7 Ireland 93/3
(Ireland won by 7 wickets)
Scotland 98/2 Ireland 99/1
(Ireland won by 9 wickets)
GROUP A
PNG 84/6 Bangladesh 86/2
(Bangladesh won by 8 wickets)
Netherlands 137/3 UAE 138/4
(UAE won by 6 wickets)
FIXTURES - TOMORROW
5pm: UAE vs. Bangladesh, Utrecht
5pm: Netherlands vs. PNG, Amstelveen
GROUP B
1pm: Thailand vs. Scotland, Utrecht
5pm: Ireland vs. Uganda, Amstelveen

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