All eyes will be on the Cricket Cranes this afternoon when they take on the Titans in Pretoria, a fixture expected to offer Uganda their first real challenge on tour.
Uganda brushed aside the Lions XI in their opening warm-up on Saturday, winning by five wickets in a one-sided contest. Juma Miyagi starred with the ball, claiming 3/23, while Cosmas Kyewuta and Dinesh Nakrani chipped in with two wickets apiece. But while the win was emphatic, head coach Abhay Sharma knows it revealed little about how his side will hold up under genuine pressure.
That is why today’s duel with the Titans carries far more weight. Unlike the Lions, the Titans bring pedigree, experience, and depth — exactly the kind of opposition Uganda must measure themselves against before next week’s ICC T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in Zimbabwe. With Namibia and hosts Zimbabwe lying in wait there, the Cricket Cranes cannot afford to be lulled into a false sense of security.
Preparations yesterday were intense as batters spent hours fine-tuning at the nets while bowlers hit the gym at the University of Pretoria. Sharma emphasized sharpness and adaptability, qualities that will be vital against the Titans’ disciplined attack and aggressive batting order.
For Uganda, today is less about the result and more about testing combinations, handling pressure, and ensuring the lessons from Pretoria can translate into Zimbabwe. Still, victory against such a strong South African outfit would be a huge confidence boost heading into the qualifiers.
The Lions were dispatched with relative ease. Now comes the Titans — a far tougher question, and perhaps the perfect exam Uganda needs before the real battle begins.
