PROVIDENCE, Guyana, CMC – Off-spinner Frank Nsubuga bowled the most economical spell in an ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup and set up Uganda to claim a historic maiden win by three wickets in a low-scoring but tense contest against Papua New Guinea on Wednesday in Guyana.
Nsubuga, 43, the oldest player in the tournament, ended with figures of 4-2-4-2 and was one of four Ugandan bowlers who took two wickets. They dismissed the Papuans for a paltry 77 in 19.1 overs in their Group C match under the lights at the Guyana National Stadium.
A crisis of confidence, perhaps, overtook the African side, and they stumbled to 25 for four in the chase at the close of the Power Play and were 26 for five when Dinesh Nakrani hit a return catch to pacer Norman Vanua in the seventh over.
But Riazat Ali Shah settled their nerves with a score of 33 to earn the Player-of-the-Match award and put on a tidy 35 with Jimmy Miyagi, whose 13 made him the only other batsman to reach double figures. Uganda crawled past their target of 78 in the 19th over.
Riazat was fortunate, on eight when Charles Amini dropped him at backward point off Chad Soper in the ninth wicket. It did not help that the Pacific Islanders conceded a whopping 15 wides to the Ugandans.
The African side, which beat out fellow African nation and long-time ICC full member Zimbabwe in qualifying to reach the tournament, celebrated its maiden victory in a World Cup by dancing on the edge of the outfield.
“This is huge for us,” Uganda captain Brian Masaba said. “There is no other way to say it. It’s massive for Ugandan cricket.
“To be at a World Cup is one thing, but picking up a World Cup win is something different. And it hasn’t sunk in [yet]. We’ll probably have to sleep on it before we understand the magnitude of what that means.”
He added: “But we’ve got a passionate group of fans. I mean, these guys have traveled halfway across the world to be here and witness this, and I’m sure this is more than they expected when they set off from Uganda.
“It was extraordinary for us as a group to give them a win, these guys back home that have stayed up at night… so these guys have stayed up to watch this, and I hope they feel as pleased as we do… Yeah, it’s a very, very special feeling.”
The Ugandans won the toss and decided to field. They were immediately rewarded when left-arm spinner Alpesh Ramjani trapped Papua New Guinea captain Assad Vala lbw with the second ball of the innings in a wicket-maiden opening over.
Pacer Juma Miyagi tightened the screws when he got Sese Bau caught at mid-off for five in the third over, and opener Tony Ura was caught at mid-on off pacer Cosmas Kyewuta for one. The Papuans struggled through the remainder of the Power Play to reach 33 for three.
PNG limped to 48 for four at the halfway stage after Lega Siaka was run out for 12 in the seventh over, but they lost their last six wickets for 29 in the span of 54 balls, and not one of their batsman reached 20.
Group C continues on Friday when Afghanistan meets New Zealand in a titanic battle under the lights at the Guyana National Stadium. Uganda faces co-hosts West Indies on Saturday in another night match, while PNG plays the Afghans next Thursday in a night match at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.
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