Uganda registered their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup victory on Thursday after beating Papua New Guinea by three wickets in the Group C match at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. The African nation, who are playing in their first World Cup, bowled out PNG for just 77 in the first innings before chasing down the target with 10 balls remaining and after losing seven wickets.
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Riazat Ali Shah who made a fighting 33 off 56 in the chase after Uganda were reduced to 26/5 was declared the player of the match.
“It wasn’t the easy wicket to bat on, we had also lost wickets when I went in, the target was far away. The message (from the management) was the same, score singles and rotate strike. First win of the World Cup, it’s special, it’s really amazing, thanks to our bowlers, also our supporters who always support and pray for us. Despite losing the first match, we knew we had talent and we came here to win,” Riazat Ali Shah said after guiding Uganda to a victory.
In the ninth match of the T20 World Cup 2024, Uganda captain Brian Masaba won the toss and asked PNG to bat first, looking at the difficult conditions of the pitch in Guyana. On a slow pitch, PNG batters struggled to get going as they lost their first three wickets for just 19, half the side for 48, and were eventually bowled out for 77. Only three PNG batters managed to get into double figures.
Left-arm spinner Alpesh Ramjani who opened the bowling took two wickets while other tweakers Masaba and Frank Nsubuga took one and two wickets respectively.
Pacers Cosmas Kyewuta and Juma Miyagi also took two wickets each.
In reply, Uganda experienced a tough start as well, losing three wickets for just six runs and five for 26 but Ali Shah’s match-winning knock steadied the innings while vital contributions from Juma Miyagi (13) and Kenneth Waiswa (7 not out) in the end took Uganda past the finish line.
PNG captain Assad Vala was disappointed with the result and said his team needs to do better.
“Difficult wicket to bat on. Not just for us, but for them as well. Runs around 100 was enough, we couldn’t add up. We lost crucial wickets at crucial times and a lot of soft dismissals. We spoke that it was a tough wicket to start. We put them under pressure. When defending a low score, you have to get those chances and also a lot of extras we gave away. They batted well. We need to take chances, we need to be at our best. We need to adapt quickly.”
Uganda skipper Masaba credited his team for being better in execution as he savoured the historic win.
“Pretty special win for us, first win at the World Cup. Super proud of this group of boys, it’s very special. It’s been quite a journey - 3-4 years of hard work. Getting to World Cup was special, this is more special. Our execution was much better, the ability to adjust and execute the plans, super proud of the bowling,” he said.
“When you are three down early, we knew it’s going to be tough. Every run they scored that partnership was special and important. Kudos to them to keep their heads down and doing the job for the team. We’ve got a pretty special group of fans. These guys have travelled halfway around the world to come and support us. It’s the least we can do for them. Back home, there’s huge following. We salute and appreciate them.”
