Cricket Cranes begin South Africa tour with victory over DP Lions
The Cricket Cranes started their tour of South Africa on a winning note, defeating local side DP Lions by five wickets.
The Ugandans are using the tour as preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe, where they will be chasing a second consecutive World Cup appearance from September 26 to October 4.
In the opening warm-up game against the hosts, Uganda won the toss and opted to bowl first. New-ball pair Juma Miyagi and Cosmas Kyewuta kept things tight, with Kyewuta making the early breakthrough by dismissing Reuben Du Toit when the score was on 22.
Uganda’s spinners then applied the squeeze, slowing down the Lions’ scoring rate. Returning to the side after missing the Pearl of Africa Series, Henry Ssenyondo impressed with figures of 2/22 in his four-over spell, while Miyagi cleaned up the tail to finish with 3/23. The disciplined bowling display saw the hosts bowled out for just 109 in 19 overs.
Despite their strong showing with the ball, the visitors will look to sharpen their fielding after a few misfields allowed easy runs.
In reply, Uganda’s chase was anchored by Gaurav Tomar, who smashed 35 runs with two boundaries and three sixes in a lively innings. His dismissal briefly slowed the scoring rate, but Dinesh Nakrani (29) and Riazat Ali Shah (10) saw the side home comfortably, sealing a five-wicket victory.
It was the perfect start for Uganda as they gear up for the Zimbabwe qualifiers. The Cranes will play two more warm-up matches against the Titans and DP Lions before heading to Harare.
