Uganda look ahead to the start of ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup
Different Class. Baguma (C) picked 2 for 25 against Sri Lanka. PHOTO / EDDIE CHICCO
What you need to know:
- Captain Pascal Murungi says his team’s performance levels and overall development, is just as important as their results. He believes just to have the experience of a World Cup is already a huge success.
Uganda are at their first U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in 16 years, after last qualifying for the 2006 edition in Sri Lanka. They are in a tough-looking group B alongside India, Ireland and South Africa, but will be desperate to make an impact after so long away from a major finals.
Captain Pascal Murungi says his team’s performance levels and overall development, is just as important as their results. He believes just to have the experience of a World Cup is already a huge success.
“For us every game will be like a final,” Murungi explained. “We’ll try to give the best of ourselves. It is not about us saying ‘we have to win two games or it’s a failure’. Our mind-set is totally different, but we just want to show what we can do.” Although his team lost to Scotland in their final warm-up game the performance-levels didn’t concern the Ugandan skipper.
He added: “That was a warm-up game and we were trying a few different strategies, it was all part of the final preparation. I think now we are ready to deliver our best over the next few weeks. We just want to get the best out of ourselves I believe we can do that.”
Wellalage shines for Sri Lanka
In the second warm-up match, Sri Lanka’s bowlers produced a remarkable display to bowl out Uganda for just 46 with captain Dunith Wellalage the pick of the bunch in Guyana.
Wellalage finished with figures of four for none from his three overs as he raced through the Ugandan middle and lower order in a 231-run success.
The game had not started well for Sri Lanka, opener Chamindu Wickramasinghe bowled second ball by Pascal Murungi for a duck.
A 96-run partnership between Shevon Daniel (46) and Sadisha Rajapaksa (75 retired) got the innings back on track, while Yasiru Rodrigo’s unbeaten 32 helped Sri Lanka to 277.
Rodrigo (2-6) and Wickramasinghe (2-5) then tore through the top order, reducing Uganda to ten for four in reply.
The wickets kept coming as Wellalage came on, and despite a final wicket partnership of 17, Uganda’s innings ended after 21.2 overs.
