Final flourish: Uganda look to wrap it up in style
Spin Wizardry. Left-arm orthodox spinner Henry Ssenyondo did an 'Italian Job' on Wednesday and captain Riazat Ali Shah will once again turn to him to deliver a magical spell against Bahrain. PHOTO/AMINAH BABIRYE
What you need to know:
Home Advantage. Cricket Cranes have been impregnable at home and will look to wrap up what has been an unlikely solid campaign at home when they take on potential party spoilers Bahrain on the final day of the first leg of the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League at Entebbe Oval.
Uganda are primed to complete a stellar campaign on home soil as they prepare to face Bahrain in the final fixture of the ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) Challenge League B’s first leg at the Entebbe Oval on Saturday.
Unbeaten so far, the Cricket Cranes have thrilled fans with commanding performances, the latest being a dramatic 24-run victory over Italy, where the spinners; Henry Ssenyondo (4/28 in 10) and Alpesh Ramjani (5/69 in 9.3) dominated by taking nine wickets, turning the match around after Italy’s early momentum.
The Italians were 115 for 1 in 17.4 overs but lost nine wickets for 115 to end on 230 runs all out.
Proper finish
The Cricket Cranes are eyeing a perfect finish, yet Bahrain, who have one win, one loss, and a shared result with Italy, are keen to spoil the party. Having previously faced Uganda in Jinja during a three-match build-up series comprising two T20Is and One Limited Overs game, Bahrain’s squad is familiar with the challenge and eager to rise to the occasion.
Reflecting on areas for improvement, Uganda captain Riazat Ali Shah highlighted the need for contributions from key top-order players Raghav Dhawan, Shrideep Mangela, Robinson Obuya, and Brian Masaba: “Our top order needs to score big for us. They start well, but we need them to convert and finish it off well. However, I have trust in them because they are talented players.”
Impact with bat
Bahrain captain Haider Ali Butt, aiming for a strong finish, called on Asif Ali, Umer Imtiaz, and Shahbaz Badar to make an impact with the bat, noting, “We haven’t played to our strengths. We know we can do better, and we want our batsmen to step up because our bowling has been good.”
With Uganda topping the table on seven points and fans hoping for a flawless end to the campaign, this finale promises to deliver an exciting showdown.
