After starting the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup Sub Regional qualifiers with a huge win Over Zambia whom they beaten by 87 runs, Uganda Cricket Cranes picked up another big win beating Lesotho by 5 wickets to raise the hope to reach the Africa regional qualifiers.
In the game played in Abuja on October 21, Uganda lost the toss but they possessed a sesnsetional to bowl out Lesotho at only 87 runs in 19.3 overs, Vice captain Kenneth Waiswa led the challenge picking up 4 wickets for 18 runs in four overs and the performance made him the man of the match.
Uganda started bowling tight very early in the game picking up the first wicket for 6 in the second over when Chacholi Tlali got runedout by Gerald Olipa, that followed with another wicket for 15 in the third over with Gabriel Lerotholi cought by Wicket Keeper Cyrus Kakuru off Captain Riazat Ali Shah bowling. he was at 14 off 11 balls.
After that early damage, Maaz Khan tried to bring Lesotho back to life line with 38 off 32 but Waiswa stepped up to limit the left hand bowler with Kakuru getting another important catch that insticted the collapse in the 16.3 overs as the score count 77 for a loss of 6.
The remaining four wickets played without resistance, Lufulere Monanthene got dismissed in the 17th over for zero dismissed by Waiswa, Farook Inshaf got stopped in the 18th over chessed by Enock Kasaija, T’sepiso Chaoana force off for a leg before Waiswa after 18.2 and Gladwin Thamea came the last wicket to fall in hands of Kasaija with Sumeet Varma catch to finish the first inning at 19.3 overs.
Pius Oloka on his return and a T20 debut for Cricket Cranes when stepped up to replace Juma Miyaji who reached his half century appearance yesterday against Zambia, Oloka picket up a wicket and a catch in the game against Lesotho.
With Uganda chasing the target of 88, the chase started in upset when top order battsman Robinson Obuya got dismissed by Chaoana for 0/1 Raghav Dhawan followed quickly in the third over for 10 runs off 8 balls stopped by Chaoana with the scored counting 23/2.
Captain Ali Shah came up and commandably post 26 runs off 15 balls with three maximums but again Chaoana dismissed him, Olipa posted 20 off 11 while Alpesh Ramjani and Sumeet Varma finished the game at 12.3 with 11 off 13 and 20 off 22 with Varma hitting maximum points boundary to reach 89.
Uganda shall take a resting day on October 22 and return to action a day after agains Gambia on October 23 before facing Mozambique on October 24 and windup the campaign against Host Nigeria on October 25, the top two teams shall progress to Africa Regional Qualifiers.