Uganda A came heartbreakingly close to victory but lost by just two runs to Namibia A in the opening match of the Pearl of Africa Cricket Series at Lakeside Oval on Thursday morning.
After the game, Head Coach Jackson Ogwang and all-rounder Pascal Murungi spoke candidly about what went right and what didn’t.
“We had a good power play and bowled well to keep them to 145,” Ogwang said.
“The chase started strong, but we lost our rhythm in the middle overs. That’s where we let it slip.”
Namibia A had posted 145/6. Ivan Baidhu stood out with the ball, taking 3 for 23, supported by Pius Oloka, Brighton Muganzi, and Kenneth Waiswa.
In reply, Uganda looked set to win. Simon Ssesazi led the charge with 66 runs, and Murungi kept hopes alive with an unbeaten 38 off 26 balls.
With just seven runs needed in the final over and five wickets in hand, the result seemed certain.
But Namibia’s Jan De Villiers turned the game on its head, conceding just one run and grabbing two wickets in the last over.
“We must improve between overs seven and fourteen,” Ogwang said.
“That’s when we should rotate the strike better and run more. But we’ve taken our lessons and will bounce back.”
Murungi echoed that spirit. “It was a good game, someone has to win. They ran better between the wickets and handled pressure well. We’ll take the positives and move forward.”
The Cricket Cranes return to action against Nigeria on Friday, July 18, at 9:30 AM at Lakeside Oval.
