Joseph Baguma picked the perfect time to show why he’s one of Uganda’s brightest young bowlers.
The 21-year old finger spinner ripped through Malawi’s middle order with 4 for 18 as the Cricket Cranes cruised to a seven-wicket win in their final warm-up for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier.
- Malawi 67/10 (15.3 Ov)
- Uganda 69/3 (7.3 Ov)
Uganda won by 7 wickets
After back to back practice defeats to the SuperSport Titans and Namibia, Uganda needed a lift before Friday’s opener against hosts Zimbabwe.
Baguma delivered, turning the ball sharply and dismantling Malawi for just 67 in 15.3 overs.
“I’m ready to repay the selectors’ faith whenever given a chance,” Baguma said, his calm confidence matching his control.
Dinesh Nakrani added two wickets while captain Riazat Ali Shah kept the attack disciplined.
Chasing 68, opener Raghav Dhawan’s unbeaten 45 off 28 balls ensured Uganda crossed the line in only 7.3 overs. Robinson Obuya’s brisk 12 off five balls set the tone.
Malawi then allowed Uganda to continue batting to give their middle order extra time. Alpesh Ramjani (50 retired), Shah (40 retired) and teenager Cyrus Kakuru (20 not out) took advantage, lifting the total to 188 for 7 and boosting team morale.
“This win is a big lift after two tough games,” Kakuru said.
Uganda now shift focus to Friday’s 2025 ICC Men’s T20i World Cup qualifiers opener with Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club, brimming with fresh confidence.
