Uganda thumped Papua New Guinea by 3 wickets at Providence Stadium, Guyana, on Wednesday to grab two important points. PNG were skittled for a paltry 77 runs in 19.1 overs after being invited to bat first, and their bowlers fought valiantly to defend this total but ultimately failed. It is pertinent to mention that this is Uganda’s maiden appearance in the T20 World Cup, and they started with a victory.
Papua New Guinea batters faced a daunting task from Uganda’s bowlers. They failed to get into the groove as wickets fell at regular intervals. Ultimately, they were bundled out for a mere 77 runs in 19.1 overs. Lega Siaka (12 off 17), Hiri Hiri (15 off 19), and Kiplin Doriga (12 off 20) were the only batters to cross the double-digit, making PNG’s scorecard resemble a telephone number.
Frank Nsubuga, the oldest player (43y 282d) in the ongoing T20 World Cup, bowled an astonishing spell for Uganda. Grabbing 2 wickets for just 4 runs in his 4-over quota, including 2 maiden overs, he was the cynosure of all eyes. It is noteworthy to mention that Nsubuga’s spell is the most economical four-over spell in the men’s T20 World Cup history. Alpesh Ramjani (2/17), Cosmas Kyewuta (2/17), and Juma Miyagi (2/10) were also brilliant with the ball for Uganda. 
The chase wasn’t a cakewalk for Uganda as they were rocked hard by PNG bowlers. At one stage, the African nation tottered at 26/5 within 7 overs. Riazat Ali Shah displayed immense maturity on the tricky strip and helped his side come out of a dire situation. With Juma Miyagi (13) help, Shah ultimately took his side home.
Alei Nao and Norman Vanua shared a couple of wickets each for PNG, while Chad Soper and skipper Assad Vala celebrated a solitary wicket.
Key Moments of the Match:
The ploy to bowl spinner in the opening over work for Uganda
The Uganda skipper, Brian Masaba, employed left-arm spinner Alpesh Ramjani in the first over of the innings. The ploy worked for the men in yellow as Ramjani trapped PNG’s skipper, Assad Vala, for a duck on the second ball. Uganda carried the momentum and removed two more PNG batters inside the powerplay.
Lega Siaka’s run-out halts the budding partnership
After losing three wickets inside the powerplay, Lega Siaka and Hiri Hiri managed to steady the ship for a few overs. But in the penultimate ball of the seventh over, Saika went for an unnecessary second run and got run out. The brief partnership was broken, and PNG slumped further.
Uganda followed the Footsteps of PNG
To reach a meagre total, Uganda’s batters lost focus, allowing PNG bowlers to rattle their top order quickly. The men in yellow lost five wickets inside the seven overs, with a few throwing away their wickets by playing rash shots and allowing PNG to get back in the hunt.
Riazat Ali Shah gets a reprieve—a costly drop for PNG
Uganda were 35/5 in 8.2 overs as Riazat Ali Shah tried to break the shackles, going for a big shot. But he ended up top-edging it to the backward point, where Charles Amini dropped a simple catch at the edge of the 30-yard circle. This proved to be the game’s turning point, as Riazat went on to score 33 runs in this low-scoring chase, helping his side cross the winning line.
PNG has earlier lost to the West Indies and is on the cusp of getting eliminated. They need to win their next match to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. Papua New Guinea will face Afghanistan at Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad, on June 13 (Local time). The odds for PNG in this fixture are 1.90x.
Uganda will face the West Indies at Providence Stadium, Guyana, on June 8, and the odds for Uganda in this fixture are 15.15x.
