Clinical Uganda blow away Bahrain

The senior national men’s cricket team is a week away from the first match of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup Challenge League (CWCCL) B round one.

 And there is even some attention to that count-down to the fixture against Singapore at Lugogo Oval next Wednesday after the Cricket Cranes fashioned badly-craved consistency.

For years, the batting Achilles heel remains a huge dampener to how high the Cranes can fly, in either the shorter and now more common Twenty20 format or the longer 50-over code where depths in concentration are often dug out.

But, national team selector Nehal Bibodi could afford a hearty laughter at the pitch side of Jinja Senior Secondary School Oval after the Cricket Cranes leveled their T20 Bilateral Series with visitors Bahrain on Tuesday.

Bibodi and coach Abhay Sharma have both come under the spotlight when they made bold decisions to introduce Indian-born pair of Raghav Dhawan and Shrideep Mangela to the Cranes’ top-order set-up in the Papua New Guinea (PNG) tour of Uganda in Entebbe last month.

And now at the expense of left-hander Simon Ssesazi and experienced Roger Mukasa, Dhawan and Mangela seem to be finding their groove after they played pivotal roles to guide Uganda to a comfortable eight-wicket victory with 26 balls to spare over Bahrain in the second T20.

Banking a solid bowling after Bahrain were bowled out for 89 runs in 18.1 overs, Uganda needed two successive partnerships of 32 runs and then 52 runs hinged on Robinson Obuya for the hosts to earn their revenge.

“We’ve made a very good comeback,” Obuya, who played a patient unbeaten 41-ball innings of 28 runs, told this paper. In two T20 matches including Monday’s 17-run defeat, Obuya has knocked 48 runs, the same tally as Dhawan.

“Right from bowling, the bowlers gave us a very good start. They came hyped and bowled with the plan which we had in the dressing room. And it gave us batsmen the impetus to chase the target quick enough,” added Obuya.

His fellow opening batsman Dhawan has smartly found spaces through the on and off-sides of the pitch and he, fell to a familiar lbw (leg before wicket) from Imran Javed Anwer (1/15) after knocking 21-run-a-ball including three boundaries.

At 32-1 after 7.2 overs, Mangela showed class with the quick-fire 30-ball 36 comprising three boundaries and one maximum before Dinesh Nakrani completed it with a six off his second ball.

“It was a complete game. I am quite happy with the way the plans were implemented by the boys,” remarked Sharma.

The opposite camp is however reeling. “It was slow, maybe batting, we were 20-30 runs. 120 runs was a good fighting score. I am not happy,” said Bahrain’s captain Haider Ali who had opted to bat first.

The decision was so terrible on a tricky wicket that Bahrain was reeling at 11-4 in 3.3 overs as damage had been made by young pace bowlers Juma Miyagi (3/18) and Cosmas Kyewuta (3/12).

Ali attempted to rescue parity with a half-ton of 54 runs off 46 balls but the other end seemed loose, slow bowlers Henry Ssenyondo (2/14), Alpesh Ramjani (1/19) and Joseph Baguma (1/18) clipping all the wings entirely.

In contrast, Bahrain was 33-1 after 21 balls in the 11-over match on Monday and there will be some soul searching during the rest day today before the team play the Series’ decider over the 50-over format on Thursday.

BAHRAIN TOUR TO UGANDA

50-OVER FRIENDLY MATCH - TOMORROW

10am - Uganda vs. Bahrain, Jinja SS Oval

2ND T20 - RESULT

Bahrain 89/10 Uganda 93/2

(Uganda won by 8 wickets)

FIRST T20 RESULT

Bahrain 97/5 Uganda 80/8

(Bahrain won by 17 runs)