Night cricket test for Victoria Pearls

Team Uganda’s set-up has been frank enough. All players in the senior national women’s cricket team have never played cricket under the floodlights.

And yet, two of the Group A fixtures for the Victoria Pearls during the ICC Women’s Twenty20 Global World Cup Qualifier in Abu Dhabi, UAE over the next week will come under the lights.

Humidity is expected to be relatively high during the day and some fixtures of this tournament - a route for the top two teams to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup due September in Bangladesh - will be played a little late.

It is certainly a challenge for coaches Lawrence Ssematimba and Deus Muhumuza’s side. “We’ve not had sessions. But we’ve had discussions about,” admitted skipper Janet Mbabazi in a recent chat.

The warm-up friendly against hosts UAE at the Tolerance Oval on Tuesday night is a key moment from Mbabazi and company. “We will be playing at night for the first time and just experiencing how the ball will be playing like,” she said in a video interview before a light workout.

“This (playing in the night) is a chance and I am hoping the team can utilize it,” said Ssematimba. The Pearls were coming off a warm-up match victory over Vanuatu whom they defeated by 35 runs at Mohan’s Oval on Sunday afternoon.

“We had an opportunity for everyone to have a feel of the ball and the bat. So it’s been fun,” said Mbabazi. Each team was allowed to utilize all its 15 squad players in across batting and fielding.

Uganda elected to bat first but struggled to get out of the blocks with only opener Immaculate Nandera (19 runs off 26 balls) reaching double digits among the top four batters.

Her wicket fell at 44-4 after 10.2 overs but there was some recovery innings from Stephannie Nampiina (17-run-a-ball), Rita Musamali (35* off 30) and Kevin Awino (17 off 19) to coast the team to 119-6, their eighth batting total in women’s T20 Internationals.

“There was some good attitude shown by the batters,” reacted assistant coach Muhumuza. “We fell short by at least 20-30 runs but that is something we are trying to work on. I think the wickets are flat enough and the target we have is slightly increased.”

While Vanuatu’s opener Mary Andrews had scored 41 runs off 50 balls, Uganda rotated nine bowlers and they starved the rest of the batters, consequently ending the innings at 84-4.

Against UAE, Uganda will face a more familiar opponent who they beat one and lost twice during the Capricorn Series in Namibia and the Victoria Series in Kampala.

UAE’s wicket-keeper captain Esha Oza carries a wealth of experience. She struck an unbeaten half-century of 61 runs off 42 balls as UAE chased a target of 107 runs to defeat Thailand by eight wickets in Sunday’s warm-up match at Tolerance Oval.

2024 ICC WOMEN’S T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

WARM-UP MATCHES - TUESDAY

2pm: Uganda vs. UAE, Tolerance Oval

MONDAY RESULT

Uganda 119/6 Vanuatu 84/4

(Uganda won by 35 runs)

TEAM UGANDA’S GROUP A FIXTURES

Apr 25 (Night): Uganda vs. Scotland (Tolerance Oval)

Apr 27 (Day): Uganda vs. USA (ZCS)

Apr 29 (Night): Uganda vs. Thailand (Tolerance)

May 1 (Day): Uganda vs. Sri Lanka (ZCS)

TEAM UGANDA TO ABU DHABI

Full Team: Janet Mbabazi (Captain), Rita Musamali (Vice Captain), Consy Aweko, Kevin Awino, Stephanie Nampiina, Immaculate Nakisuyi, Evelyn Anyipo, Sarah Akiteng, Phionah Khulume, Proscovia Alako, Gloria Obukor, Esther Iloku, Lorna Anyait, Malissa Ariokot, Sarah Walaza

Officials: Lawrence Ssematimba (Head Coach), Deus Muhumuza (Assistant Coach), Imam Tugume (Physiotherapist), Sachin Jagapta (S&C), Richard Okia (Analyst), Edgar Kazibwe (Psychologist), Denis Musali (Media Manager), Mary Nankinga (Team Manager), Rita Tinka (Head of Delegation)