Cricket Cranes eye successful Africa T20 Cup title defence

Team Uganda’s captain Brian Masaba thinks only a perfect execution of their plans can help them retain the Africa Cricket Association (ACA) Twenty20 Cup when they face familiar foe Kenya in the final in Gauteng, South Africa.

The Cricket Cranes were ruthless with both ball and bat in Monday’s 10-wicket semifinal win over Botswana and Masaba feels if they can do the same at Willowmoore Park in Benoni, it will cap a perfect year.

“I don’t believe in easy games. I thought today we did really well. We got them down early and didn’t let them up again,” Masaba explained the match where they bowled out Botswana for 62 runs before chasing the score 32 balls.

Only Botswana skipper Karabo Motlhanka (13 runs off 22 balls) made double digits as Uganda’s opening pace bowler Bilal Hassan starred to pick figures of 3/8 (three wickets for eight runs) with back-up from Henry Ssenyondo (3/13), Alphesh Ramjani (2/7) and Masaba (2/11).

That was before Uganda’s openers Roger Mukasa (26* off 16) and Simon Sessazi (34* off 16) chased the target with help of a combined nine boundaries and one maximum.

Yet, the Cricket Cranes started the tournament in the Rainbow Nation on a low with a two-run loss to Rwanda despite qualifying for the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup a fortnight prior in Windhoek, Namibia.

“For me that was clinical. If we can carry that into tomorrow’s game, then that will be a very good game,” said Masaba ahead of the final.

Uganda is meeting Kenya for a sixth time in T20 International meetings, with the former winning on five occasions including a 33-run win in the last meeting in Windhoek.

Before, the Cricket Cranes also defeated Kenya in Nairobi by a run during the Africa T20 Continental Cup final in June. At the Africa Cup last year, Uganda limited Kenya to 105-8 in 18 overs before chasing the target to win by three wickets with three balls to spare.

Surely, revenge is on Kenya’s minds and they will be buoyed by the recent consistency of wicket-keeper batsman Irfan Karim and veteran Collins Obuya in Gauteng. Then left-arm orthodox Vraj Patel is a party spoiler too, picking 14 wickets in nine matches against Uganda.

They defeated Malawi by four runs in yesterday’s semifinal with great thanks to Neil Mugabe’s unbeaten 44-ball 58 half-century as they set 138-7 before a rain interruption had Malawi’s target revised to 45 runs in five overs.

Key to Uganda’s solid run against Kenya has been Dinesh Nakrani. He only returned to the starting XI for coach Jackson Ogwang Monday after serving a two-match suspension on grounds of indiscipline during the loss to Rwanda.

He has scored 243 runs in 11 innings of 12 T20Is against Kenya, comprising 17 of his 46 career sixes. With the ball against Kenya, he has picked 13 wickets for 236 runs, the only double-digit tally only collected against a country.

In Windhoek, Nakrani’s 23-ball 40* led Uganda to a safe 162-5 before helping to bowl out Kenya for 129 runs with 1/17 and a maiden. He could come in handy again at a time Ogwang hasn’t attained necessary runs from Ronak Patel.

Veteran spinner Frank Nsubuga could also have his experience to come to the table, pending conditions of the pitch.

TEAM UGANDA STARTING XI VS. BOTSWANA: Simon Sessazi, Ronak Patel, Roger Mukasa, Robinson Obuya, Riazat Ali Shah, Kenneth Waiswa, Alphesh Ramjani, Dinesh Nakrani, Brian Masaba (c), Cyrus Kakuru (wk), Bilal Hassun, Henry Ssenyondo

12th Man: Jonathan Ssebanja, 13th Man: Frank Nsubuga, Unused Player: Ronak Patel

ACA AFRICA MEN’S T20 CUP FINALS

TUESDAY FIXTURES - IN GAUTENG

THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF

10am: Botswana vs. Malawi

CUP FINAL

2.30pm: Uganda vs. Kenya

SEMIFINAL RESULTS

Botswana 62/10 Uganda 65/0 (5.2 overs)

(Uganda won by 10 wickets)

Kenya 138/7 Malawi 39/2 (5 overs)

(Kenya won by 4 runs via D/L Method)

UGANDA’S GROUP STAGE RESULTS

Uganda 149/8 Mozambique 98/10

(Uganda won by 51 runs)

Malawi 91/5 Uganda 92/3

(Uganda won by 7 wickets)

Rwanda 115/10 Uganda 113/10

(Rwanda won by 2 runs)