Uganda defeat Papua New Guinea
Claiming their first win in the T20 World Cup history, Uganda defeated Papua New Guinea by three wickets at the Providence Stadium, Guyana on Thursday.
Chasing a modest target of 78 runs at the Providence Stadium, Guyana, Uganda reached home in the 19th over for the loss of seven wickets.
Riazat Ali Shah played a resolute knock and scored 33 runs in 56 balls with the help of a four.
Uganda had lost five wickets for just 26 runs but Riazat and Juma Miyagi, 13 off 16, added 35 runs in 43 balls for the sixth wicket to keep their side in the match.
“It was not easy to bat on this wicket. When I was in, we lost a lot of wickets and I had to stay in. The target was not such that I had to hit big boundaries,” Riazat said after the match.
“It is our first World Cup and first win of the World Cup – it is a special moment for us. Coming to the big stage, it is an amazing feeling and thanks to all our supporters back home and for our fans around the world.
“Whether we were on the up or down, they have always supported us. After the first game, we were a bit down but we knew how talented we are, and we wanted to show the world how good we are.”
Alei Nao and Norman Vanua claimed two wickets for PNG.
Earlier, Uganda won the toss and decided to bowl first against PNG during the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.
The decision was spot on as PNG were dismissed for only 77 runs in 19.1 overs.
Only three PNG batters managed to get into double figures in a sorry batting display.
Alpesh Ramjani, Cosmas Kyewuta, Juma Miyagi and Frank Nsubuga claimed two wickets each for Uganda.
Both teams came into this match after defeats in their opening fixtures. PNG made a spirited effort against the hosts West Indies in their first match, while Uganda received a stiff lesson from Afghanistan.
Lineups:
Papua New Guinea: Tony Ura, Assad Vala (c), Lega Siaka, Sese Bau, Hiri Hiri, Kiplin Doriga (wk), Charles Amini, Norman Vanua, Alei Nao, Chad Soper, John Kariko
Uganda: Simon Ssesazi (wk), Roger Mukasa, Robinson Obuya, Dinesh Nakrani, Riazat Ali Shah, Alpesh Ramjani, Kenneth Waiswa, Brian Masaba (c), Juma Miyagi, Cosmas Kyewuta, Frank Nsubuga