With four wins in as many games, the Baby Cricket Cranes have earned promotion back to Division One of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Africa Qualifiers, with one game remaining on Saturday.
Despite a low-scoring performance on Thursday against Sierra Leone U19, the Cranes maintained their unbeaten run at the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Division 2 Qualifier, securing a hard-fought 98-run victory at the Gahanga Main Oval in Kigali.
Uganda won the toss and elected to bat first, making one change to the side that defeated Ghana: Kassimu Adam came into the team for Felix Ochan.
Richard Sohera played a patient innings of 31 off 55 balls, while Robert Owilli top-scored with a well-crafted 53 off 83 deliveries, including three fours and a six. Their partnership helped Uganda recover from early setbacks and push the total beyond 100. Kenneth Isiiko added 12 runs before Uganda was eventually bowled out for 152 in 45.3 overs.
Defending the modest total, Uganda’s bowlers responded with a disciplined and relentless display, quickly putting Sierra Leone on the back foot.
Sierra Leone slipped to 12/3 before losing wickets at regular intervals as Uganda maintained pressure from both ends. The opposition reached 49/9 before the final wicket fell at 54 in 28.4 overs.
Captain Charles Kamara offered some resistance, top-scoring for Sierra Leone with 26 off 67 balls (including two fours and a six), but the rest of the batting line-up struggled against Uganda’s disciplined attack.
Reflecting on the game, Head Coach Grace Mutyagaba admitted that Uganda did not start well with the bat and failed to recover as expected, but praised the players for holding their nerve under pressure.
“The boys held their nerve and got us to 152 runs. We expected a game like this one, and this was a reality check, but I am happy that the boys managed to come out on top of the challenge,” Mutyagaba said.
Uganda faces hosts Rwanda in their final game on Saturday, with the goal of completing the tournament on a high, according to Coach Mutyagaba.
