Uganda too hot for Kenya

Great performance: Frank Akankwasa, Uganda’s U-19 captain, receiving his Man of the Match award from ICC Umpire Claude Thorborn. PHOTO BY INNOCENT NDAWULA

U-19 captain Frank Akankwasa led from the front with both bat and ball as Uganda avenged their last defeat to Kenya in the 2017 U-19 World Cup Qualifiers at Nairobi Gymkhana Oval to set their campaign off to a flying start here in Windhoek, Namibia yesterday.
Akankwasa scored a half ton of 62 off 80 balls featuring in a 129-run partnership for the sixth wicket with wicketkeeper Ashraf Ssenkubuge (52 off 89) as Uganda rebuilt their innings from 54 for 5 in 12 overs to win by 70 runs at the Wanderers Affies Park.
Akankwasa didn’t stop at that. He was equally lethal with the ball returning miserly figures of 3 for 12 in 9 overs including a classy run out of Kenya’s last man Satish Hirani as Kenya folded for 136 all out in 40.3 overs.
“We fought hard to bounce back in this match,” said Akankwasa after picking his Man Of Match award from the ICC umpire Claude Thorborn.
“It was not as easy as the final result shows. That partnership was the changing point of the match but also you have to give credit to our bowlers. They struggled early on but backed themselves to deliver good second spells. And the catching in the deep was a good. A win over Kenya is always precious.”
But whereas Uganda won, there will be no after-party with the next round of games scheduled for tomorrow.
Uganda will look to make it two out of two against Sierra Leone who dumped Tanzania by 27 runs. Tanzania will look to bounce back against hurting hosts Namibia whereas Nigeria take on Kenya.
“We have to keep working hard and looking to improve,” said Jackson Ogwang, Uganda’s coach.