Onus on Cranes to make home advantage count

Captain Roger Mukasa (L) and opening bowler Charles Waiswa celebrate a wicket in April at Lugogo. PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO

What you need to know:

  • Like A, League B has the last round-robin round will be played in 2021 with the top pool teams facing off for a play-off final to the 2022 ICC World Cup Qualifier.

Uganda’s national men’s cricket team - The Cricket Cranes got a positive distraction early this week when ICC announced that the East African nation will host round II of the Cricket World Cup Challenge League B next year.

A 16-man unit of the Cricket Cranes is quietly working under guise of coach Steve Tikolo at Kyambogo Oval ahead of round I to be held from November 25 - December 10 in Hong Kong. Uganda will host Hong Kong, Kenya, Jersey, Bermuda and Italy from July 27 - August 9, 2020 as part of the route of the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup.
“We are happy that ICC has faith in Uganda to host a tournament of such magnitude,” said Uganda Cricket Association CEO Martin Ondeko.

“We have proved previously that we have capacity to host,” he said. It will be Uganda’s first event since hosting the ICC Africa Men’s Twenty20 Cup back in April.
By hosting League B round II, it means the Cranes have a chance to garner maximum points in front of their own faithful.

“It’s obviously good to play under familiar conditions. Hopefully we can take advantage of this,” said Ondeko.
“For home advantage to count, we should have a sufficient number of points from Hong Kong,” Cricket Cranes’ manager Jackson Kavuma reasoned in a recent interview.

“We must maximise and get at least eight points (four wins in five) from Hong Kong. If Uganda hosts and you win all your five games, then you have 18.
“And that gives you less burden going into the third round. With a total 24 points, it will be very difficult for you not to qualify,” added Kavuma.

Like A, League B has the last round-robin round will be played in 2021 with the top pool teams facing off for a play-off final to the 2022 ICC World Cup Qualifier.

ICC WORLD CHALLENGE LEAGUE

LEAGUE B: Hong Kong, Kenya, Uganda,
Jersey, Bermuda, Italy
PREVIOUS ICC EVENTS IN UGANDA
2019 ICC Africa Men’s T20 Cup
2017 ICC World Cricket League Div III
2013 ICC U19 World Cup Qualifier (Africa)
2013 ICC Africa Men’s T20 Cup
2012 ICC Africa U19 Cup
2011 ICC Africa Women’s T20 Cup
2011 ICC Africa Men’s T20 Cup