- Tanzania U-19 189/8 in 50 overs ( Karim Kiseto 51, Laksh Bakrania 60)
- Uganda U-19 116/10 in 39 overs (Devansh Patel 25, Gurjivan Singh 16)
- Tanzania U-19 won by 73 runs.
The Baby Cricket Cranes’ journey in the U19 Africa World Cup Qualifier began on a disappointing note as Uganda suffered a 73-run loss to Tanzania at the TBS Cricket Oval in Nigeria on Saturday.
Despite facing a familiar opponent from their Youth Easter Series in Kampala, Uganda struggled to find their rhythm, ultimately failing to chase a target of 190 runs.
Uganda won the toss and opted to bowl first, hoping to take early control of the game. Their bowlers started well, dismissing Dylan Thakrar (5) and Omary Koba Ramadhan (4) cheaply within the first five overs.
However, Tanzania’s batting resilience soon took over, led by a composed 51 from Karim Kiseto off 86 balls and a captain’s knock of 60 from Laksh Bakrania off 111 balls.
Tanzania built their innings patiently, despite losing wickets at crucial intervals. Kiseto and Bakrania’s third-wicket stand of 97 runs proved pivotal, stabilizing their innings after early setbacks.
Uganda managed to slow down the scoring rate, thanks to some tidy bowling spells from Abdulaziz Tandia (3/26) and Musa Majid Ramathan (2/30), but Tanzania still posted a respectable 189/8 in 50 overs.
Chasing 190, Uganda needed a strong start, but their innings faltered almost immediately. Captain Olipa Gerald (9) fell early and despite a fighting effort from Devansh Patel (25 off 84 balls), the Baby Cricket Cranes struggled to keep up with the required run rate.
Wickets tumbled regularly with Sohera Richard (7), Kidega Christopher (14), and Abraiz Mir Ali (11) failing to convert their starts into significant scores.
Gurjivan Singh (16 off 10 balls) showed some late aggression, but the game had already slipped away. Uganda was bowled out for 116 in 39 overs, well short of their target.
Tanzania’s bowlers proved too strong for Uganda with Raymond Francis (5/27 in 9 overs) and Agustino Meya Mwamele (4/24 in 9 overs) running through the batting order.
Their disciplined and relentless bowling attack ensured Uganda never had a chance to mount a serious comeback.
Uganda has no time to dwell on this loss as they have got to regroup and return to action on Sunday, March 30, facing another East African nation in Kenya at the UNILAG Cricket Oval.
A win will be crucial if they hope to stay in the race for a spot in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup.
