The Baby Cricket Cranes’ hopes of qualifying for the ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup are hanging by a thread after suffering back-to-back defeats to Tanzania and Kenya in the Africa Qualifiers.
The tournament, being held in Lagos, Nigeria, has gotten off to a nightmare start for Uganda. Despite electing to field first against Tanzania, the Baby Cricket Cranes were unable to contain the Tanzanian batting lineup, which posted 189/8 in their 50 overs.
A 97-run stand between Karim Kiseto (51) and captain Laksh Bakrania (60) proved decisive, as Uganda’s chase never gained momentum. Wickets fell at regular intervals, and the team was eventually bundled out for 116 in 39 overs, handing Tanzania a comfortable 73-run victory.
Things only got worse for Uganda in their second match against Kenya. Electing to bat first, the Baby Cricket Cranes were skittled for a mere 69 runs in 19.5 overs – the lowest total of the qualifiers so far. Only Peter Ocen (28) showed any resistance, as the rest of the batting lineup crumbled under relentless pressure from the Kenyan bowlers.
Krishil Patel was the star of the show, picking up 4 wickets for 11 runs, as Kenya cruised to a 7-wicket win in 34.5 overs.
With two heavy defeats, Uganda now faces an uphill battle to qualify for the World Cup. Their next match against Sierra Leone on Tuesday, April 1, is a must-win encounter. The team will need to regroup, particularly in the batting department, to avoid further setbacks in the tournament.
Can the Baby Cricket Cranes turn their fortunes around and keep their World Cup dreams alive? Only time will tell.
