Uganda equalled the lowest score ever recorded at a Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday, tumbling to 39 all out against West Indies at the Providence Stadium.
West Indies, who reached 173 for five after winning the toss and electing to bat won by 134 runs, the second largest margin in T20 World Cup history. However, West Indies – playing their final game in Guyana before flying to Trinidad where they meet New Zealand next Wednesday – also struggled to time the ball on another low, slow pitch.
The opener Johnson Charles top scored with 44 from 42 balls, hitting one mighty six and the captain, Rovman Powell, hit another on to the top of the grand stand in his innings of 22. However, it was once again the powerful Andre Russell (30 not out) who accelerated the scoring rate by slashing four boundaries in the final over.
Uganda had entered the heavyweight contest with wind in their sails after a stirring three-wicket win over Papua New Guinea gave the African nation their maiden victory at the T20 World Cup. Uganda recovered from 26 for 5 to reach PNG’s total of 77 in the 19th over, sparking scenes of wild celebration.
However, against the might of West Indies, Uganda were immediately in trouble when Roger Mukasa fell lbw to Akeal Hosein off the second ball and a sorry procession then ensued. Russell bowled Robinson Obuya for six and Alzarri Joseph picked up a couple from his three overs while Juma Miyagi was the only batter to reach double figures, scoring 13 from 20 deliveries.
The desultory Uganda total of 39 equalled the Netherlands’ 39 against Sri Lanka in 2014.
The left-arm spinner Hosein took five for 11 from his four overs after opening the bowling. “I think I needed this,” said Hosein after accepting the man-of-the-match award. “In the nets and in the previous series I felt the ball was coming out good but I was just not getting the rewards.”
Powell paid tribute to Hosein and said his team were looking to improve by 10 to 15% in each of their games. “Last game we were flat so we just wanted to improve as a team,” he said. “When you are playing at home the pressure can sometimes get to you.”
Uganda are one of the minnows of this year’s T20 World Cup. Although there are records of Uganda fielding an international cricket team in a contest against an East Africa XI as far back as 1914, this is their first time on cricket’s biggest stage.
The “Cricket Cranes” team have participated in six editions of the ICC World Cup qualifier tournament without success. But in the 2023 Africa qualifier, they caused a major upset by inflicting a seven-wicket defeat of the far more established cricket nation Zimbabwe to qualify second (behind Namibia) for the 2024 World Cup.
