Nothing beats maiden T20 World Cup moment for Uganda

The largely open issuance of the Twenty20 International (T20I) status to countries across the world by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2019 significantly changed the tide of the sport.

Nothing beats a debut T20 World Cup

Today, especially in countries with low-fabric structures, national teams end up being relatively busier than the local franchises or clubs.

In the past, countries like Uganda only pursued a bigger ICC purse via a One Day International (ODI) status over the longer format of 50 Overs but now, there are bigger ambitions in the T20I code too.

2024 remained special in the history of Uganda’s cricket thanks to a debut at the T20 World Cup show in the West Indies and the USA.

And for a period of about a month, Uganda was the subject of discussion together with fellow debutants Canada and the USA.

Uganda had qualified via the African Finale in Namibia back in 2023 when they stunned Zimbabwe with a five-wicket victory in Windhoek.

By then, Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) had parted ways with coach South African Laurence Mahatlane. His former assistant Jackson Ogwang led the success in Windhoek.

Sharma arrival

And understandably, Indian Ahbay Sharma came in to replace Mahatlane’s void in April, some weeks before the team travelled to the Caribbean.

Uganda pitted against two-time champions and co-hosts West Indies, big wigs New Zealand, Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea (PNG) in Group C.

The results truly weren’t going to matter a lot but rather, the feel of priceless experience at this stage for the Cricket Cranes and country at large.

A handful of fans flew out from Entebbe and some American residences to Georgetown, Guyana and Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago for the showpiece.

Back home, in the wee hours of the day, cricket diehards sang to the national anthems in their living rooms or on mobile phones as a lucky generation to the pitches.

Prior, the highlight of them all was the spotlight on cricketing siblings Roger Mukasa and the veteran Frank Nsubuga but it didn’t take long before the tough lessons took over.

Tutelage by Afghanistan

First against Afghanistan on June 4, an opening 174-run partnership between Rahmanullah Gurbaz (76 runs off 45 balls) and Ibrahim Zadran (70 runs off 46 balls) in 14.3 overs put Uganda’s bowlers to the sword.

It was an immediate expose of the gulf between Uganda’s brand of cricket and the global stage. Afghanistan set 183-5, Ugandan skipper Brian Masaba taking figures of 2/21 while Cosmas Kyewuta’s admirable pace yielded 2/25 at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.

Uganda’s chase to the total was one to forget as only two men hit double digits; Riazat Ali Shah (11 off 34) and Robinson Obuya (14 off 25), who hit a six too, which turned out to be the only one by a Ugandan at the entire tournament.

The Cricket Cranes were bowled out for a paltry 58 runs in 16 overs thanks to a parsimonious spell from ruthless opening Afghan bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi who took 5/9.

 Two days later, the PNG test was upon Sharma’s charges at Providence too. PNG are familiar foes for Uganda. Changes were rung in; Kenneth Waiswa, Juma Miyagi and Nsubuga coming in as direct replacements for Ronak Patel, Bilal Hassun and Henry Ssenyondo.

Nsubuga's historic day, Shs114m richer 

It seemed to pay off. Nsubuga at the age of 43, became the tournament’s oldest player in history. And he made most of the moment he had waited for 27 years.

The right-arm spinner picked up two wickets and conceded just four runs - making it the tournament’s most economical four-over bowling spell.

Alpesh Ramjani (2/17), Kyewuta (2/17), Miyagi (2/11) and Masaba (1/17) all chipped in as PNG was bowled out for 77 runs in 19.1 overs. PNG’s Hiri Hiri made 19-ball 15.

Uganda’s chase was again labored from the openers, Mukasa trapped for a duck while Ssesazi made just a run. However, history was made as Shah made a match-winning knock of 33 runs off 56 balls while Miyagi added 13 off 16 before Waiswa (7* off 16) made the winning runs for a three-wicket win.

That marked Uganda’s first-ever win in T20 history and it came with a reward of $31,154 (Shs114m). Thereafter, the lessons only got tougher however.

Against hosts West Indies at a packed Providence Stadium on June 8, Uganda put up some fight with the ball but were nowhere with the bat.

Many players like Nsubuga, whose son is named Pollard after former skipper Kieron Pollard, adore the West Indies. The match was for their dreams.

No mercy from Windies

West Indies captain Rovman Powell beat Masaba to the toss and elected to bat. Unlike against Afghanistan, Uganda got an early breakthrough, Ramjani (1/16 in three overs) taking out Brandon King (13 off 8) but the home side never relented.

Johnson Charles (44 off 42), Nicholas Pooran (22 off 17), Powell (23 off 18), Sherfane Rutherford (22 off 16) and Andre Russell (33* off 17) all put up high strike rates, which decimated efforts from Masaba (2/31), Dinesh Nakrani (1/2), and Kyewuta (1/42).

The Windies set 173-5 but Uganda again with openers Ssesazi and Mukasa scoring four runs and a duck respectively, was bowled out for 39 runs in 12 overs thanks to Akeil Hossein’s fine spell of 5/11.

Miyagi had top-scored 13* off 20 and of Uganda’s total, five were extras. Uganda’s final match came against New Zealand on June 14 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago.

Powerful New Zealand machine

Knowing Uganda’s fragilities, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson asked Masaba’s unit to bat first. Sharma returned Ronak atop the order with Mukasa given a break.

However, little changed as Uganda set just 40 runs 18.4 overs with vastly experienced Trent Boult (2/7 and a maiden), Tim Southee (3/4 and a maiden), Mitchell Santner (2/8 in 3.4 overs), Lockie Ferguson (1/9) and Rachin Ravindra (2/9 and a maiden in three overs) buried the Ugandan cast.

Wicket-keeper opening batsman Devon Conway made a 15-ball 22* which earned the Oceania nation victory, ending a memorable chapter for Uganda.

Upon return home, Masaba ended his T20I career and captaincy has since been handed to Shah while Ronak seemed to have been unceremoniously retired, Ssesazi and Mukasa were forked out, paving way for Raghav Dhawan and Shrideep Mangela.

The changes took effect for the longer code ahead of the first round of the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League (CWCCL) B in Lugogo and Entebbe.

Home sweep in longer code

And Uganda did well, yielding five wins out of five matches against Italy, Hong Kong China, Bahrain, Singapore and Tanzania, all in the road to the 2027 ICC ODI World Cup.

From there, Shah led from the front by taking 276 runs in five innings including a ton of 104 runs off 87 balls against Tanzania in Lugogo while Mangela, inspired by a century of 102* runs off 128 balls against Bahrain in Entebbe, finished with 173 runs in five innings.

Thereafter, owing to the demands of T20I and 50-Over cricket, UCA structures allowed a busier Uganda A side, for several fringe players like Ronald Lutaaya, Mukasa, Ssesazi, Calvin Watuwa and more, which travelled and dominated proceedings against less experienced opponents from hosts Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

A fortnight later, Shah and company went to Kigali and retained the T20 Continental Cup title, beating Nigeria by six wickets with 16 balls remaining, after dominating the round-robin phase. Left-arm orthodox bowler Ssenyondo emerged as the MVP while Obuya’s purple patch with the bat continued.  

Victoria Pearls' tough UAE trip

On the women’s front, Victoria Pearls’ captain Janet Mbabazi and company had hoped to emulate the men and qualify for the T20 World Cup too but the stage at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier from April 25 - May 7 in the UAE proved too big.

Uganda finished ninth out of 10 countries, with only an eight-wicket win over the USA from Group A - thanks to Immaculate Nakisuyi’s 64-ball 71* half-ton - as the best part to write home about.

On the local scene, Wanderers Cricket Club ended an 11-year wait for the T20 League title and came second in the 50-Over League, won by Kutchi Tigers.

Soroti City triumphed in the women’s T20 League and Busoga College Mwiri’s Gerald Olipa and St. John’s SSS Mukono’s Irene Mutoni could hold the country’s future.

TEAM UGANDA SQUAD TO 2024 T20 WORLD CUP

Uganda: Brian Masaba (c), Simon Ssesazi, Roger Mukasa, Cosmas Kyewuta, Dinesh Nakrani, Fred Achelam, Kenneth Waiswa, Alpesh Ramjani, Frank Nsubuga, Henry Ssenyondo, Bilal Hassun, Robinson Obuya, Riazat Ali Shah, Juma Miyaji, Ronak Patel. 

Travelling Reserves: Innocent Mwebaze, Ronald Lutaaya

2024 ICC MEN’S T20 WORLD CUP

RESULTS SUMMARY - UGANDA

June 4: Uganda vs. Afghanistan

Afghanistan 183/5 Uganda 58/10

Afghanistan won by 125 runs

June 6: Uganda vs. PNG

PNG 77/10 Uganda 78/7

Uganda won by 3 wickets

June 9: Uganda vs. West Indies

West Indies 173/5 Uganda 39/10

West Indies won by 134 runs.

June 15: Uganda vs. New Zealand

Uganda 40/10 New Zealand 41/1

New Zealand won by 9 wickets

2024-2026 ICC CWC CHALLENGE LEAGUE B

POINTS TABLE AFTER FIRST LEG

Team                                  M           W          L             N/R       Pts         NRR

1. Uganda                          5             4             0             1             9             2.874    

2. Italy                               5             3             1             1             7             2.244    

3. Hong Kong China         5             3             1             1             7             -0.519  

4. Bahrain                          5             2             2             1             5             -0.299  

5. Tanzania                        5             0             4             1             1             -1.491  

6. Singapore                      5             0             4             1             1             -2.608  

N/R denotes No Result

NRR denotes Net Run Rate

FIRST LEG STATISTICS

TOP RUN SCORERS

Riazat Ali Shah (UGA) 276 runs in 5 innings

Emilio Gay (ITA) 269 runs in 4 innings

Shrideep Mangela (UGA) 173 runs in 5 innings

TOP WICKET TAKERS

Yasim Murtaza (HKG) 13 wickets

Henry Ssenyondo (UGA) 11 wickets

Alpesh Ramjani (UGA) 10 wickets

UGANDA’S TOP PLAYERS

BATTING

Riazat Ali Shah: 276 runs in 5 innings

Shrideep Mangela: 176 runs in 5 innings

Dinesh Nakrani: 169 runs in 4 innings

Robinson Obuya: 141 runs in 5 innings

Alpesh Ramjani: 112 runs in 4 innings 

BOWLING

Henry Ssenyondo: 11 wickets for 87 runs & 8 maidens

Alpesh Ramjani: 10 wickets for 117 runs & 5 maidens

Dinesh Nakrani: 7 wickets for 99 runs

Juma Miyagi: 6 wickets for 93 runs & 6 maidens

Cosmas Kyewuta: 5 wickets for 76 runs & 3 maidens

LAST UGANDA CENTURIONS - LIST A CRICKET

Aug 13, 2022: Ronak Patel (121* runs off 122 balls) vs. Bermuda in St Saviour, Jersey

Aug 14, 2022: Simon Ssesazi (137 runs off 134 balls) vs. Hong Kong in St Martin, Jersey

Aug 14, 2022: Arnold Otwani (129 runs off 127 balls) vs. Hong Kong in St Martin, Jersey

Nov 9, 2024: Riazat Ali Shah (104 runs off 87 balls) vs. Tanzania in Lugogo, Uganda

Nov 16, 2024: Shrideep Mangela (102* runs off 128 balls) vs. Bahrain in Entebbe, Uganda

2024 ICC WOMEN’S T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

TOURNAMENT FIXTURES

MATCH DAY 3 - TODAY

GROUP A AT SHEIKH ZAYED CRICKET STADIUM

2pm: Sri Lanka vs. Uganda

6:30pm: Thailand vs. USA

GROUP B AT TOLERANCE OVAL

2pm: Netherlands vs. Zimbabwe

6:30pm: Ireland vs. Vanuatu

TEAM UGANDA - GROUP A RESULTS

Scotland 161/3 Uganda 52/10

(Scotland won by 109 runs)

USA 110/5 Uganda 114/2

(Uganda won by 8 wickets)

Uganda 62/10 Thailand 64/1

(Thailand won by 9 wickets)

WARM-UP MATCHES - RESULTS

Uganda 69/9 UAE 71/1

(UAE won by 9 wickets)

Uganda 119/6 Vanuatu 84/4

(Uganda won by 35 runs)

UCA AWARDS 2024

The Category Winners

Cricketer of the Year     

Riazat Ali Shah  

International Player of the Year - Male

Alpesh Ramjani

International Player of the Year - Female

Rita Musamali   

Domestic Cricketer of the Year - Male

Suleiman Shariff (Wanderers CC)

Domestic Cricketer of the Year - Female             

Teddy Oyella (Tornado Bee)      

Male Club of the Year

Wanderers        

Female Club of the Year

Soroti City          

Male Umpire of the Year

Eric Wandera    

Female Umpire of the Year

Sharon Athoula

Male Rising Star of the Year

Gerald Olipa Opunu (Busoga College Mwiri)       

Female Rising Star of the Year

Irene Mutoni (St John’s SSS Mukono)

Coach of the Year           

Jackson Ogwang (PUSH Academy/Cricket Cranes)

Male Volunteer of the Year

Arnold Tembo (Keere Cricket Academy)              

Female Volunteer of the Year

Lwiza Nabulwala (Ndejje SSS)   

Groundsman of the Year

John Wabwire (Lugogo Oval)

Male Journalist of the Year

Kakeeto Gonzaga (The Site)       

Female Journalist of the Year

Nina Kakwanzi (NBS Sports)

Online Journalist of the Year    

Sajjabi Ivan (Touchline Sports)  

Cricket Fan of the Year

Juuko Ackram

Chairman’s Award - Lifetime Service Award

Deziranta Namigadde (Mama Lutaaya)