The Uganda Cricket Cranes have registered their second win against Nigeria in the Pearls of Africa T20 Series, beating them by 38 runs at the Lakeside Oval in Entebbe. This victory marks the fourth straight win for the Cricket Cranes, who are looking to maintain their unbeaten run in the tournament.
Uganda won the toss and elected to bat first, posting a strong 147/6 in 20 overs. Shrideep Mangela led the way with an unbeaten 51 off 42 balls, while Raghav Dhawan and Cyrus Kakuru added 22 and 21 runs, respectively. Alpesh Ramjani hit a quick 13 off 10 balls.
The match saw T20I debuts for Calvin Watuwa and Innocent Mwebaze, who marked their arrival with impressive performances. Mwebaze, who had been nursing a back injury, finally got his chance to shine.
In response, Nigeria stumbled early, with their top order dismantled by Uganda’s disciplined attack. Captain Juma Miyaji (2/19) and Dinesh Nakrani (3/11) struck crucial blows, while Mathew Musinguzi (2/21) and Joseph Baguma (3/32) ensured regular breakthroughs. Nigeria’s only resistance came from Isaac Okpe’s unbeaten 26 and Prosper Useni’s brisk 17 off 9 balls, but they fell well short, dismissed for 109 in 18.1 overs.
Captain Juma Miyaji lauded his side’s ruthlessness, saying, “Our bowling unit showed class and discipline today. The debutants settled in seamlessly and Mangela’s knock anchored our innings perfectly.”
Uganda tops the table with 8 points from four outings, followed by UAE on 4 points from three games, Kenya with 2 points, and Nigeria yet to open their account. The Cricket Cranes will face Kenya on Friday, July 25th, at the Lakeside Oval in Entebbe.
