Cricket Cranes see off Botswana in T20 World Cup Qualifiers dead rubber

• Botswana 81/6
• Uganda 85/2
• Uganda won by 8 wickets

Uganda’s Cricket Cranes got off the mark at the T20 World Cup Qualifiers with a clinical eight wicket win over Botswana.

The dead rubber game was to wrap up the formalities for Group B since the top two sides had been decided with Zimbabwe and Tanzania moving on while Botswana and Uganda flexed for 3rd and 4th in the Group.

Uganda won the toss and elected to bowl first. Changes were made in Uganda’s playing XI with Robinson Obuya, Cyrus Kakuru and Frank Nsubuga coming into the playing XI in the place of Joseph Baguma, Gaurav Tomer and the injured Juma Miyagi.

Cosmas Kyewuta leaked a few in his first two overs but the slow bowlers never allowed Botswana to get going. Frank Nsubuga, playing his first game of the tournament, gave away only 13 runs in his quota of four overs and he had the support of Alpesh Ramjani (1/14), Henry Ssenyondo (1/12), Dinesh Nakrani (2/13) and Captain Riazat Ali Shah (2/7) who picked up the wickets.

In the run chase, Ronald Lutaaya departed without facing a ball after taking on a long throw from the deep, Robinson Obuya never made a contribution as well but Raghav Dhawan (54 not out) and Verma Sumeet (29 not out) made sure of the result inside 13 overs.

The win was the first for Uganda at the Qualifiers and ensures they will finish third in the group. The team will have to wait for the conclusion of the other games to find out who their 5th-place playoff semifinal opponent will be.

The disappointing group campaign for Uganda who stand no chance of qualifying for a consecutive World Cup means they will drop down to the regional qualifiers as focus turns to the 2028 T20 World Cup in New Zealand.