The national U19 boys cricket team, Baby Cricket Cranes, started their tour of India with a three-wicket win against Paramveer Cricket Academy.
In their opening 50 Over game at the Sanjay Farm in India, Joseph Baguma was the lead man in this match with both the ball and the bat.
Baguma who was part of the team that played at the U19 World Cup hosted in West Indies last year picked three wickets and bowled two maidens.
Yunus Sowobi and Ali Balidawa each dismissed two batters while Christopher Kidega, Jonathan Nyiiro, and team captain Fahad Mutagana each got one apiece.
In the chase, Baguma scored 47 runs off 30 balls as Uganda chased Paramveer’s 200 runs with 14 Overs to spare. For his performance, the 17-year-old was rewarded with the Man of the Match award.
All Ugandan batters scored in double digits except for Pius Oloka (0) and Sowobi (2). Brian Asaba, Gerald Olipa, and Kidega got 38, 32, and 22 respectively while Ronald Omara, Mutagana, and Anas Baig managed 21, 14, and 12 respectively for the Baby Cricket Cranes.
“We’ve won this game not because we are the best, but because we used the experience we learned from them,” Captain Mutagana said of the game.
The purpose of this tour is to fine-tune the team ahead of the ICC U19 World Cup Regional Qualifiers set to take place in Tanzania in July.
While the senior national team hasn’t played at the World Cup, the U19 team has been there thrice; in 2004, 2006, and 2022.
Uganda will be hoping to make their fourth appearance. The boys will return to action tomorrow for another 50 Over game.
By: Rose Agwang
