- Uganda 112 all out in 17.2 Overs ( Gerald Olipa 52, Ronald Lutaaya 17; Kavya Gori 3/12)
- SoBo Mumbai Falcons 118/9 in 19.1 Overs (Akash Parker 36*, Gautam Wagehla 31; Henry Ssenyondo 2/13)
SoBo Mumbai Falcons won by 1 wicket
Cricket Cranes’ unbeaten run on their Mumbai tour ended in heartbreak after they lost by one wicket to SoBo Mumbai Falcons in the opening T20 match at Dadoji Konddev Stadium in Thane on Tuesday.
Uganda came into the game riding high after sweeping the Mumbai Cricket Association Colts 4-0 in the 50-over series, but the switch to the shorter format brought a tougher test.
After winning the toss, the Falcons chose to field first, taking advantage of bowling-friendly conditions that troubled Uganda’s batters from the start.
Simon Ssesazi fell in the opening over before Sarvesh Patil and Raghav Dhawan departed early, leaving Uganda struggling at 21 for three.
Former Uganda U-19 captain Gerald Olipa then produced the innings that gave the Cricket Cranes hope. The right-hander played aggressively under pressure, scoring 52 off 30 balls with eight fours and a six.
Olipa shared a brief partnership with Ronald Lutaaya, who added 17, but wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Kavya Gori starred with the ball for the Falcons, taking three for 12, as Uganda were bowled out for 112 in 17.2 overs.
Defending a modest total, Uganda’s bowlers fought hard to drag the game back into their hands.
Juma Miyaji struck early, while Cosmas Kyewuta removed Pranav Kela to reduce the Falcons to 37 for two. Joseph Baguma then picked up two wickets, including the dangerous Awais Khan, as Uganda kept chipping away.
The Falcons appeared comfortable when Gautam Wagehla blasted 31 off 16 balls, but Uganda refused to back down. Henry Ssenyondo bowled tightly for his two wickets, while Tanvish Vaze also joined the wicket-taking effort.
The match turned tense when the Falcons slipped to 98 for nine, giving Uganda a real chance of defending the target.
But Falcons captain Akash Parkar held his nerve with an unbeaten 36 off 40 balls to guide the hosts to 118 for nine with five balls remaining.
Despite the defeat, Uganda’s bowlers showed fight after defending a low score on a pitch that became easier to bat on later in the evening.
The Cricket Cranes return to action on Wednesday against North Mumbai Panthers looking to bounce back in the T20 series.
