The first day of Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 3 has seen Uganda secure a 20-run victory over defending champion Nepal. At the Kinrara Oval, Uganda scored 203 for eight and then dismissed Nepal for 183.
In the main feature of the day, a 137-run sixth-wicket partnership between Phillemon Mukobe (84) and Brian Masaba (51) helped Uganda recover from 23 for five in 13.3 overs to 203 for eight in 50 overs after it had been put into bat by Nepal.
Mukobe’s 102-ball innings included six fours and three sixes, while Masaba’s 81-ball innings was studded with five fours. Tailenders Jonathan Ssebanja (20 not out) and Deusdedit Muhumuza (12 not out) added valuable runs in the end.
For Nepal, skipper Paras Khadka took three for 34, while Sompal Kami and Basant Regmi claimed two wickets apiece conceding 29 and 32 runs, respectively.
Nepal, led by top scorer Naresh Budhaayer (62), started its chase briskly but lost its way in the middle as it collapsed from 103 for two to 183 all out in 48.5 overs, including four wickets in the final two overs.
Uganda’s Davis Arinaitwe was the most successful bowler, returning figures of four for 33, included the prized scalp of Budhaayer who fell in the 38th over of the innings after hitting four fours and a six in a 122-ball innings.
Arinaitwe was ably supported by Roger Mukasa, who finished with three for 28 in four overs, while Jonathan Sebanja bagged two for 28 in 8.5 overs.
Uganda skipper Frank Nsubuga was pleased with the result, and reflected: “The camp is feeling much better, after recovering from about 25 for five and coming back and scoring 200 – the boys worked so hard. I think they did a good job.”
The skipper believed that his side’s fielding outshone any individual performances on the day. “I think fielding is our strength. In this tournament, you have to field well to lift the trophy.”
A disappointed Nepal captain Paras Khadka said: “We started well, but I think they put on a very good partnership, and we just couldn’t finish it off. Unfortunately, these kinds of games, we should be able to finish them off. But this is the first game of the tournament, the tournament is still wide open, and we need to rectify our mistakes and move forward and come back strong.
“Our bowling was pretty good, but they were 23 for five, and then they put on a very good partnership. Still, chasing 204 shouldn’t have been that hard on that wicket, but unfortunately our batters just couldn’t finish it off. Everyone got slow starts, and we just couldn’t convert. If one of the batsman had converted, I think the result would have been different.”