The Uganda Cricket Cranes have successfully defended their Pearl of Africa T20 Series title, defeating the United Arab Emirates by eight runs in a thrilling match at the Entebbe Cricket Oval. The victory marked a flawless campaign for Uganda, who finished the double round-robin tournament unbeaten with 12 points from six matches.
Uganda won the toss and opted to bat first, posting a formidable total of 170/7. A masterclass partnership between Raghav Dhawan (56 off 41) and Alpesh Ramjani (61 off 34) rescued Uganda from a tricky 51/3 in 8.3 overs. The UAE bowlers tried to rein in Uganda’s momentum, but the hosts had enough firepower to set a competitive total.
In reply, UAE’s batting depth came to the fore, with five players scoring over 22. However, Uganda’s bowlers struck at key moments, with Dinesh Nakrani (2/24), Frank Nsubuga (2/31), and Matthew Musinguzi (1/15) playing pivotal roles to restrict the visitors to 162/9.
Alpesh Ramjani was named Player of the Match for his outstanding performance, scoring 61 off 34 balls and taking 1/33 in four overs. Ramjani also won the Player of the Tournament award, accumulating 334 points. Raghav Dhawan was recognized as the Best Batsman of the series, scoring 228 runs.
Captain Juma Miyaji praised his team’s clinical performance, saying, “We knew we had to be clinical today. The energy from the home fans lifted us, and I’m proud of the character shown. This win means everything heading into the qualifiers.” Assistant coach Jackson Ogwang added, “We’ve grown a lot this series. Today, we stuck to our plans, adapted quickly, and it’s a deserving win.”
The victory not only secured regional bragging rights but also valuable T20I ranking points for Uganda as they prepare for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers later this year. The team will look to build on their momentum and make a strong impression in the qualifiers.
