Uganda made history on Wednesday at the Providence Stadium in Guyana by securing their first-ever victory in the T20 World Cup. They defeated Papua New Guinea by three wickets in the ninth match of the 2024 tournament, marking a significant milestone.
After being asked to bat first on a sluggish pitch, PNG were dismissed for a mere 77 runs in 19.1 overs. Hiri Hiri (19), Kiplin Doriga (12), and Lega Siaka (12) were the only players to reach double digits. Frank Nsubuga delivered an exceptional spell, taking 2 wickets for just 4 runs in his 4 overs.
In response, Riazat Ali Shah played a composed innings of 33 off 56 balls, guiding Uganda to a successful chase under challenging conditions. He hit the winning runs in the 19th over, prompting joyful celebrations from Uganda’s players and fans at the stadium, marking their first-ever victory in T20 World Cup history.
You can watch their celebrations in the posts here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C727csqSIyX/?igsh=dXNmeTVuZ2R0aWds
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C73OP5vgHcf/?igsh=ams3NHpveXNyOXN5
“Getting to the World Cup was special in itself, but this is even more special!” –Uganda captain Brian Masaba on the win against PNG in the 2024 T20 World Cup
During the post-match presentation, a delighted Uganda captain Brian Masaba commented on the significant win and said:
“Winning such a match, that too in a World Cup, is pretty special! Getting to the World Cup was special in itself, but this is even more special! We were able adjust to the conditions quickly, we bowled wicket to wicket and did not give any freebies, so that set up the win.”
Masaba elaborated on their strategy for handling the tough batting conditions by saying:
“We knew that it was going to be tough for us having watched them bat on that wicket, but we stuck to the task, and never gave up!”
On the support from their fans and the road ahead, he further added:
“Our fans have been highly supportive, they have been by our side through thick and thin and all we can say to them is that we need more of it to give them more joy in the future!”
The East African team is set to play their next match against the West Indies at the same venue on Saturday (June 8) in their second-to-last group game of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
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