Uganda, making their World Cup debut, faced a formidable target after the tournament co-hosts scored 173 for five.The African team was bowled out for a mere 39 runs off 12 overs, matching the lowest innings total in T20 World Cup history.
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Hosein, who frequently opens the bowling for the West Indies, expressed that his remarkable success was the result of persistent hard work and continuous improvement. “I needed this. In the nets and in the previous series we’ve played, I felt the ball was coming out nicely but I just wasn’t getting the rewards,” said Hosein, who was awarded Man of the Match.
Despite their historic victory over Papua New Guinea just four days earlier, Uganda recognized the significant disparity in batting abilities, although their bowlers performed admirably.
Johnson Charles, the West Indies opener, top-scored with 44 off 42 balls, while Andre Russell provided a late surge with an unbeaten 30 off 17 deliveries. Uganda’s captain, Brian Masaba, claimed crucial wickets with his wrist-spin, and seamers Cosmas Kyewuta and Juma Miyagi impressed with their pace and precision.
Masaba acknowledged the steep learning curve for his team, particularly in batting, and emphasized the importance of learning from this experience to remain competitive in future matches. He also highlighted the challenge and enjoyment of playing against high-quality opposition, stressing the need for more frequent encounters to facilitate improvement.
West Indies captain Rovman Powell expressed satisfaction with his team’s progress since their hard-fought victory over PNG nearly a week earlier. “That last game we were a little bit flat, so coming into this game we just wanted to improve as a team, and I think we’re up to 70-80 percent now,” remarked Powell.
(Inputs from AFP)
