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Uganda’s she Cranes have bounced back from the Africa Netball Cup opening-day defeat to Zimbabwe by beating Namibia, 55-43, at MTC Dome in the coastal city of Swakopmund.

Unlike the opener, the She Cranes played with a lot of urgency, moving the ball faster into the circle.

Changes were made to the team set-up with Hanisha Muhammeed starting at GoalKeeper and Faridah Kadondi moving to Goal Defense and the pair was formidable in and around the defensive circle.

In the attacking third, skipper Irene Eyaru started at GoalAttack to join Mary Nuba Cholhok and there was a lot of telepathy in the attacking circle.

The team turned a four-goal (15-11) lead at the end of the opening quarter to a nine-goal (23-32) lead at halftime a lead that was maintained through the second half despite Muhameed’s two-minute suspension.

“We were reckless in our last game but we came into the Namibia match with a winning mentality. We lost the last game due to poor game management, and we couldn’t afford to repeat that mistake against Namibia,” Muhameed said of the game.

Eyaru had a perfect shooting evening making 22 attempts while Cholhok had a shooting accuracy of 84% (33/39). Midcour star Margaret Bagala was named player of the match.

Head coach Nelson Bogere praised his team’s performance.

“The girls executed everything as planned. The home team had the support but the team stayed focused and managed to win,” he said in the aftermath.

Uganda will next play Eswatini on Thursday afternoon in their third group game and a win will send Uganda to the semifinals.

Uganda’s She Cranes will be seeking to bounce back against Namibia when the two teams face off in the Africa Netball Cup on Wednesday.

The She Cranes suffered a shocking 50-49 loss to Zimbabwe on Monday, a setback that put the side in a position of must-win against Namibia if they are to advance to the semifinals of the tournament.

“We have put yesterday’s game aside. We are ready for tomorrow’s game and we know it’s not going to be easy because we are playing the hosts but we have fixed whatever we have to fix,” head coach Nelson Bogere said.

The She Cranes started slow against Zimbaabwe and were sloppy in the first half but were better in the third and early in the foruth before falling off late.

Skipper Irene Eyaru sat out with a slight knock with Shadia Nassanga and Rachael Nanyonga playing as the GAs but the coach saays Eyaru is availabe for selection in the game against Namibia.

“We have a belief that starting tomorrow we will win all our games because we have learned a lot from yeserday’s game. We are going to make it upto the finals,” Eyaru said.

The first centerpass will be made at 7:00pm East African Time.

Uganda’s Cricket Cranes more or less guaranteed themselves a place in the ILT20 Continent Cup following a 108-run win over Botswana on Monday.

The win inspired by Simon Ssesazi who played his best game with bat in hand to score 85 off 53 balls kept Ugaanda’s unbeaten streak at the tournament intact after six games.

Botswana won the toss and elected to bowl but Uganda’s opening pair of Fred Achellam (25) and Simon Ssesazi (85) put on 57 inside 6 overs before the former was dismissed.

Shrideep Mangela (65) carried on from where Achelam left off with Ssesazi whose departure gave skipper Riazat Ali Shah (36) a chance to flourish at the back of the innings with the Cricket Cranes finishing on 229/3 in their 20 overs.

In the run chase, Raghav Dhawan and Riazat Ali Shah opened the bowling for Uganda as the two premier fast bowlers Juma Miyagi and Cosmas Kyewuta were rested.

However, it was the slow bowlers Joseph Baguma (2/20), Alpesh Ramjani (2/29), Henry Ssenyondo (1/15), and Frank Nsubuga (1/12) that got the job done for Uganda.

Botswana ran out of balls with the score at 121/7.

The Cricket Cranes like all other teams have three group phase matches to play before the final. Uganda will play Nigeria on Wednesday, Rwanda on Thursday, Botswana on Friday and the final on Saturday.

Matchday 5: ILT20 Continent Cup | Uganda vs Nigeria

Robinson Obuya (67) scored quickly with seven maximums and two boundaries to ensure that Uganda remains unbeaten in the ILT20 Cup in Kigali.

It is the fifth straight win for the Cricket Cranes as they look to defend their title, the second win against the Yellow Greens of Nigeria at the tournament.

Uganda won the toss and elected to bowl first. The bowling unit backed up this decision with some great bowling led by the slow left-arm spin of Henry Ssenyondo who came out with career-best bowling figures of 5/8 in his four overs.

Frank Nsubuga (3/21) and Dinesh Nakrani (2/14), picked the other wickets, as the Crickeet Cranes had a terrific bowling performance that limited Nigeria to just 103.

In the run chase, Robinson Obuya lost his opening partner Simon Ssesazi early but he remained resolute in his approach en route to his third half-century and his second of the tournament.

Obuya’s rich vein of form anchored the run chase for Uganda who got home with inside 13 overs.

The fifth win came on the back of the fourth victory yesterday against the hosts Rwanda. Uganda piled on 151/8 yesterday with Captain Riazat Ali Shah the top scorer with 44.

ILT20 Continent Cup | Uganda vs Nigeria

Nigeria pinned Cricket Cranes to the wall in a short second inning of the ILT20 Continent Cup clash against Uganda but couldn’t get over the line.

The Yellow Greens won the toss and elected to bat first. Salim Salau (27) and Runsewe Sulaimon (23) put on 49 for the opening stand before both openers were cleaned up by Alpesh Ramjani (5/17).

However, the Nigerians failed to form another formidable partnership to help them kick on as they only managed to post 133/9 in their 20 overs.

Ramjani registered the best bowling figures in T20i cricket as the slow bowling options continued to get the business done for the Cricket Cranes in Kigali.

The heavens opened just before the second innings could get underway and once it was fit for play, Uganda needed 84 runs from 11 overs for them to get a win.

Uganda started briskly but that also came with some risk as they lost wickets in clusters and at 55/5 with still over 44 runs required for the win, there was a reason to believe for Nigerians.

However, a clutch 23 off 10 balls from Cosmas Kyewuta completely deflated Nigeria’s hopes as the fast bowler came out swinging and turned the game in the favour of Uganda who got over the line with 10 balls left in the game.

There is little time to recover for Uganda, they will be in action tomorrow morning against hosts Rwanda.

Cricket Cranes picked up their second win in as many games at the ILT20 Continent Cup with a 112-run win over the hosts Rwanda.

Rwanda won the toss and elected to bowl first in overcast conditions. Despite losing Shrideep Mangela early, Robinson Obuya (83) got stuck in and notched up his second T20i half-century.

Riazat Ali Shah (27) and Dinesh Nakrani (21) offered support with the Cricket Cranes notching up the highest score of the tournament so far, 192/7 in 18 overs.

In the run chase, Rwanda had a steady opening stand of 37 before Dinesh Nakrani (4/16) wreaked havoc to leave the hosts at 38/4. The Cricket Cranes took charge from there on eventually dismissing the hosts for only 83.

Henry Ssenyondo (3/13) brought up 100 wickets in T20i cricket, the first Ugandan bowler to bring up that milestone.

Match Summary: Uganda v Botswana
Uganda 164/8
Botswana 86 all out
Uganda won by 78 runs

Cricket Cranes got off the mark with a 78-run win over Botswana on Matchday One of the ILT20 Continent Cup in Kigali.

The numbers don’t tell the whole story as Botswana pushed the envelope after winning the toss and electing to bowl. Robinson Obuya (17) and Shrideep Mangela (26) got the team off to a flyer but some reckless shot selection left the Ugandans railing at 81/5.

Alpesh Ramjani (58) took 28 runs off the final over to help Uganda finish at 164/8 in their 20 overs.

In the run chase, Juma Miyagi and Cosmas Kyewuta struggled to keep Karabo Mothalanka (17) and Monroux Kasselman (28) quiet until Frank Nsubuga was introduced in the attack. The old man about town got rid of Captain Mothalanka with the scorecard reading 41.

The breakthrough opened a door for Uganda with the remaining nine wickets falling for just 45 runs. Nsubuga (3/8), Henry Ssenyondo (2/16), and Alpesh Ramjani (1/4) put on the brakes for Uganda and Botswana running out of resources with still 78 runs required for the win.

Botswana gave Uganda a run for their money with the ball but they couldn’t match the favourites with the bat.

Uganda got away with the collapse but will seek improvements tomorrow when they play against the hosts Rwanda.

The 2024 Africa Netball Cup will take centre stage in Namibia’s Swakopmund municipality starting on December 9 and will climax on December 14 at the MTC Dome.

Nine (9) countries will vie for the coveted trophy at stake for the women.

Hosts Namibia are joined by 8 other countries that include; Uganda, South Africa, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Team Uganda is determined to give a great showing following their third-place finish at the Fast 5 series in New Zealand.

The She Cranes have been training at Hamz Stadium (Nakivubo) and Lugogo Indoor Arena under the coaches Nelson Bogere and Nourredine Kato.

Their latest internal build-up was against a select side of the men; with the latter winning 49-40 at Lugogo.

“The training has been excellent and I expect a brave performance at the tournament. We shall give our best throughout” Bogere, the head coach disclosed.

The travelling squad of players has a blend of the vastly experienced and some fresh faces.

UK-based duo of Mary Nuba Cholhok and Anisha Muhammad, skipper Irene Eyaru, centre Margaret Bagala and the returning Rachael Nanyonga are the fulcrum points for this team.

Debutant Gloria Aya is among the players expected to make a bold mark at the championship given the platform to perform.

Team Uganda departs for Namibia aboard Ethiopian Airlines on Thursday, 5th December 2024 from Entebbe International Airport.

Nuba will fly directly from the UK and connect with the rest of the teammates in Namibia.

Meanwhile, the countries that will play in the men’s category include the hosts Namibia, Burundi, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Traveling Delegation:

Players:

Technical:

Cricket Cranes are back in action this week, determined to end the year on a high as they prepare to defend their title at the T20 Africa Continental Cup.

The tournament, scheduled to take place from December 4–14, 2024, at the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium, will see Uganda compete against Botswana, Nigeria, and hosts Rwanda in a round-robin format culminating in a December 14 final.

Having lifted the trophy last year in a nail-biting one-run victory over Kenya at the Nairobi Gymkhana Oval, Uganda aims to replicate their success despite Kenya’s withdrawal from this year’s competition.

Fresh from securing the Rwanda Emerging Nations T20 Cup with the Uganda A side, the selectors have made two changes to the senior squad. Left-hand opening batsman Simon Ssesazi, finger spinner Joseph Baguma, and batting all-rounder Pascal Murungi have been recalled.

Chairman of Selectors Nehal Bibodi explained; “We are giving younger players more opportunities for exposure. Pascal Murungi’s inclusion is to prepare him for the future, while experienced players like Kenneth Waiswa remain integral to the team despite being left out now. Joseph Baguma continues to impress us with his potential for a long and promising career.”

Coach Abhay Sharma emphasized the team’s focus on preparation and adaptability: “Our aim is to test various players in different positions and combinations to find the best fit for the coming challenges, especially with an eye on next year’s ICC Africa T20 World Cup Qualifier Final. By focusing on planning, preparation, and execution, we believe success will follow.”

Led by Riazat Ali Shah, the team is ready for an exciting schedule of matches, starting with their opening game against Botswana tomorrow (Wednesday) at 2.15pm.

TEAM UGANDA

Riazat Ali Shah (captain), Pascal Murungi, Frank Nsubuga, Henry Ssenyondo, Dinesh Nakrani, Cosmas Kyewuta, Alpesh Ramjani, Robinson Obuya, Raghav Dhawan, Fred Achelam, Shrideep Mangela, Joseph Baguma, Simon Ssesazi, Juma Miyaji.

TEAMS PARTICIPATING:

  1. UGANDA
  2. NIGERIA
  3. BOTSWANA
  4. RWANDA

Uganda’s long-distance runner Stella Chesang set a new national marathon record at the Valencia Marathon on Sunday.

Chesang crossed the finish line in an impressive time of 2:18:26, taking second place behind Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu, who won the race in 2:16:49.

Chesang slashed two minutes off her previous best of 2:20:23, which she set in Hamburg last year, becoming the first Ugandan woman to run under the 2:20 barrier.

Tiruye Mesfin completed the women’s podium with a time of 2:18:35.

Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe won the men’s race with a time of 2:02:05. Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta finished second, while Kenya’s Daniel Mateiko took third place.