Uganda’s national cricket team, the Cricket Cranes, recorded a memorable first win in the early hours of the morning against Papua New Guinea.
The Cricket Cranes triumphed by 3 wickets, with Papua New Guinea scoring 77 (19.1 overs) and Uganda reaching 78-7 (18.2 overs).
Frank Nsubuga, Uganda’s veteran player, delivered an exceptional performance, conceding just 4 runs from his 4 overs. This achievement marks the fewest runs conceded by any player from a full 4 overs at the T20 World Cup and ranks as the joint-sixth fewest in the format overall.
At 43 years old, Nsubuga, the oldest player in the World Cup, now holds the record for the most economical four-over spell in T20 World Cup history, with figures of:
- 4 Overs
- 20 Dots
- 4 Runs
- 2 Wickets
Uganda’s captain, Brian Masaba, expressed his excitement at the end of the game: “Pretty special win for us. First win at the World Cup, doesn’t get more special than this. Super proud of the work they put in. To get a win for their country at a World Cup, it is pretty special. It has been quite a journey. Three to four years of very, very hard work, by the players and the board back home. Getting to the World Cup was special, but this is more special.”
Masaba praised the team’s bowling performance, stating, “When you think about it from the other day, we got our plans right. Our execution was much better. The ability to adjust very quickly to the conditions – super proud of the bowling unit, they set up the game for us.”
He also commended the fast bowlers for their effective strategy: “It was pretty simple, bowl a hard length and keep it wicket-to-wicket. We got that right today and it worked in our favour.”
Highlighting the partnership between Riazat Ali Shah and Dinesh Nakrani, Masaba noted, “When you are three down early, chasing a low score, we know how it can be. It was a real scrap out there. Every run they scored was very important and kudos to them for keeping their heads down and doing the job for their team.”
Masaba concluded with a heartfelt message to the fans: “We have a pretty special group of fans, who travel all around the world and support us. Don’t think they came expecting a win in the World Cup but this is the least we can do for them. I hope they feel as special as we do. There is a huge following back home. Staying up till 3:30 or 4:30 in the morning, it is not easy. We salute them and appreciate them.”
With this victory, Uganda sits 3rd in the table standings and looks forward to upcoming matches against the West Indies and New Zealand.
