Uganda edge past Lesotho in tense run chase
Uganda make it two wins from two in Abuja. Despite a target of just 88 runs, five wickets fell before Verma and Ramjani finished the job.
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Uganda claimed their second win in as many matches in Abuja on Wednesday 21 October, beating Lesotho by five wickets. After restricting their opponents to 87 runs, the Ugandans reached 89 for five in 12.3 overs. Kenneth Waiswa, who took four wickets, was named player of the match.
The result extends the Cricket Cranes' winning start. But chasing a target of 88 took more work than the opposition's modest total might have suggested. Five Ugandan batters were dismissed before Sumeet Verma and Alpesh Ramjani saw the game home.
A small target, wickets falling
Robinson Obuya was out first ball. Uganda then lost Raghav Dhawan for ten runs, followed by captain Riazat Ali Shah, who made 26 off fifteen balls. At 40 for three, the side had already squandered part of their margin against opponents who were defending fewer than 90 runs.
Ts'episo Chaoana took the first three wickets and finished with three for thirteen. Gerald Olipa added twenty runs, but his dismissal and then Waiswa's left Uganda on 64 for five. They still needed 24 runs to win.
Verma and Ramjani finish the job
Verma, unbeaten on twenty, and Ramjani, on eleven, saw the chase through. Their staying power to the end stopped Lesotho from pressing their fightback any further. Uganda passed the target after 75 legal balls: the 12.3 notation denotes twelve overs of six balls plus three extra balls.
The bowlers' success had earlier set up the win. Lesotho lost all ten wickets in 19.3 overs, with Waiswa the chief wicket-taker. The resistance led by Chaoana afterwards was not enough to turn the result around.
Two wins, qualification still to be secured
This victory follows Tuesday's win over Zambia, by 87 runs. Uganda's next fixture is scheduled for Friday 23 October against Gambia, followed by Mozambique and then Nigeria.
The top two in the tournament will advance to the African regional final, a stage on the road to the 2028 T20 World Cup. With two wins, Uganda are moving towards that goal. The Lesotho game also serves as a reminder that restricting the opposition and completing a chase without alarms are two different tasks.