It was a lopsided affair, with New Zealand completely outplaying Uganda to secure their first win in the ICC T20 World Cup. While these victories won’t influence the final standings in the Super 8s, a team of New Zealand’s calibre undoubtedly seeks to leave a significant mark as their participation in the tournament draws to a close. The bowlers laid a solid foundation by dismissing Uganda for a meagre total of 40, which the Black Caps then chased down with minimal effort. This comprehensive nine-wicket win underscores New Zealand’s prowess and determination to finish on a high note.
After choosing to bowl first, the seasoned new-ball duo of Trent Boult and Tim Southee wreaked havoc in the Uganda camp. They bowled brilliantly from the outset, taking three wickets between them to reduce Uganda to 9/3 by the end of the powerplay. Kenneth Waiswa offered some resistance for Uganda but was bowled out in the eighth over.
New Zealand’s bowlers maintained pressure throughout. Only Waiswa (11) managed to reach double figures as the rest of the Uganda batters struggled, eventually being bowled out for 40 in 18.4 overs. Tim Southee was particularly impressive, taking three wickets for just four runs in his four overs. Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, and Rachin Ravindra each claimed two wickets, while Lockie Ferguson contributed with one.
Despite the fight shown by Uganda’s batting unit to extend their innings until the 19th over, similar resistance was expected from their bowlers. Although Riazat Ali Shah struggled in his solitary over, the new-ball pair of Cosmas Kyewuta and Juma Miyagi bowled tightly, making the Kiwi batters work hard for every run. However, they couldn’t prevent the inevitable.
The only question was how many overs New Zealand would take to reach the target, and they did so comfortably in the end. Finn Allen started with a boundary. A couple of tidy overs followed with few boundaries. Riazat Ali Shah then managed to dismiss Allen with a tickle down the leg side, but Devon Conway struck a couple of boundaries to seal the victory for New Zealand.
Facing a top-quality bowling attack was always going to be a daunting task for Uganda, and their struggles against top teams continued. While the result was expected, the experience of playing against elite teams will undoubtedly help Uganda improve their game to the next level.