KAMPALA: The Cricket Cranes will do one last dance during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Twenty20 World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe.
Sunday’s dance will not be the spectacle that supporters expected when Uganda came in Bulawayo on July 9 for the Global Qualifier, the winner of which will advance to the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia in September.
Those two World Cup slots have already been taken by host country Zimbabwe and Netherlands, who have played a thrilling and brave style of cricket and will rightly meet off this afternoon at the wonderful Queens Sports Club.
However, coach Laurence Mahatlane’s Ugandan team will face Hong Kong in the fifth match place playoff final at the iconic site that has witnessed the birth of many Test heroes.
Hong Kong coach Trent Johnston will see this encounter as a retribution match, whilst Mahatlane will aim to right the wrongs from Monday’s tense 2-wicket triumph against the same opponents.
The Cricket Cranes swept out Hong Kong for 87 runs at the Bulawayo Athletic Club (BAC), but lost eight wickets in 19.4 overs to chase that low total, leaving many fans disappointed.
The huge-margin losses to Papua New Guinea (8 wickets) and Netherlands (97 runs) over the last seven days have seen Uganda fall one place in the global rankings to 26th in the world with the impressive Americans, who came here as the lowest ranked country, going up one place to 25th thanks to their last four finish.
Captain Kenneth Waiswa knows if his team takes care of business, like they did in the tense 5-run triumph over Jersey in the placement playoff semifinal on Friday, Uganda’s ranking will certainly improve by some places – which is part of the team’s plan and processes to be among the best 20 countries in the world as per the ICC rankings.
“Big effort from the lads against 22nd ranked Jersey. To defend 110 on that historic venue is something that will stay with us forever. Now we have one more push to end on a high,” said Waiswa.
Hong Kong skipper Nizakat Khan will look back to this tournament and feel his 24th ranked side never really got going as they only managed victory in their last Group B game against PNG when they chased down 180-odd before overwhelming Singapore in the placement playoff semifinal.
Seeking winning climax
The Sunday game provides an epic day for both teams to exorcise the demons in both camps; for Uganda the ever-present batting Achilles heel and for Hong Kong to get their big boys like Babar Hayat firing again and more importantly keep their winning momentum.
At BAC, Jersey will throw caution to the wind to avoid the wooden spoon against winless Singapore in the morning’s seventh place playoff final whereas the United States of America are expected to play out a cracker against PNG in the bronze match in the afternoon as the last-ever Global Qualifier climaxes.
ICC T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER
TODAY’S FIXTURES
7th place playoff final -10.30am
Jersey vs. Singapore, Bulawayo Athletic Club
5th place playoff final – 10.30am
Uganda vs. Hong Kong, Queens Sports Club
3rd place playoff final – 2.30pm
PNG vs. USA , Bulawayo Athletic Club
Final – Gold Match – 2.30pm
Zimbabwe vs. Netherlands, Queens Sports Club
UGANDA PROBABLE XI
1. Roger Mukasa, 2. Simon Ssesazi, 3. Ronak Patel, 4. Kenneth Waiswa, 5.Dinesh Nakrani, 6. Riazat Ali Shah, 7. Fred Achelam, 8. Frank Nsubuga, 9. Juma Miyaji, 10. Bilal Hassan, 11. Henry Ssenyondo.
12th MAN: Frank Akankwasa