Historic Obuya Century Sends Cricket Cranes Into ILT20 Final
Robinson Obuya struck a historic unbeaten T20I century as the Cricket Cranes defeated Rwanda by 72 runs in Kigali, securing Uganda’s place in the ILT20 Continent Cup final against Kenya.
The Cricket Cranes booked their place in the ILT20 Continent Cup final in emphatic fashion, defeating hosts Rwanda by 72 runs at Gahanga International Cricket Stadium to set up a final against unbeaten Kenya on Saturday.
Uganda posted 188 for two after winning the toss and electing to bat before restricting Rwanda to 116 for nine in their 20 overs to register their sixth victory in seven matches.
The result takes Uganda to 12 points, securing their place in the top two alongside Kenya, who remain unbeaten on 14 points after seven matches. The two sides will meet in Friday’s final round-robin fixture before renewing their rivalry in Saturday’s final.
Obuya makes history
The day belonged to opening batsman Robinson Obuya, who produced one of the finest individual performances of his T20I career. The 25-year-old struck an unbeaten 118 from 70 balls, including eight fours and eight sixes, to become only the second Ugandan batsman to score a T20I century after left-hander Simon Ssesazi.
The milestone was even more significant as Obuya crossed 1,000 career T20I runs during his landmark innings. His 118 took his career tally to 1,045 T20I runs, making him the fifth Ugandan batsman to reach the 1,000-run mark after Ssesazi, captain Riazat Ali Shah, legendary Roger Mukasa and all-rounder Dinesh Nakrani.
Obuya reached the landmark in his 48th T20I and 46th innings, three years after making his international debut against Rwanda at Nairobi Gymkhana on June 11, 2023. His career T20I figures now include 1,045 runs, six fifties, one century, 91 fours and 51 sixes.
Olipa adds birthday fireworks
Obuya received excellent support from Gerald Olipa, who celebrated his 20th birthday in style with an unbeaten 35 runs from 19 deliveries. Olipa struck two fours and three sixes at a strike rate of 184.21 to provide the late acceleration that pushed Uganda to 188 runs for two.
Anas Baig contributed 19 from 18 balls, while Charles Musemeza made nine as Uganda built a strong platform before Olipa’s late assault. The performance continued the encouraging tournament for several of Uganda’s emerging players who are gaining valuable T20I exposure in Kigali.
Bowlers dismantle Rwanda
Uganda’s bowlers then produced an equally impressive performance, reducing Rwanda to 25 for five inside the powerplay.
Pacemen Juma Miyagi set the tone with two wickets for eight runs from three overs, while Cosmas Kyewuta claimed three for 32 from four. And then left-arm orthodox spinner Matthew Musinguzi added one wicket for 17 runs, while off-spinner Joseph Baguma completed an excellent spell with three for 22.
Rwanda’s resistance came from Isaie Niyomugabo, who remained unbeaten on 52 from 52 balls, but the hosts could only reach 116 for nine from their 20 overs. The 72-run victory confirmed Uganda’s place in the final and extended their winning record to six victories from seven matches.
One, two three Kenya affairs
Uganda now face a unique finish to the tournament, meeting Kenya twice in two days. The Cricket Cranes will face the unbeaten Kenyans in Friday’s final round-robin match before the two sides meet again in Saturday’s final.
Kenya defeated Botswana by 64 runs on Thursday to maintain their perfect record, posting 216 for five before restricting Botswana to 152 for three. Friday’s meeting will therefore provide another opportunity for Uganda to test themselves against the tournament’s only unbeaten side ahead of the final.
It also gives head coach Steve Tikolo, a former Kenya international, another chance to assess his squad against a familiar opponent after Kenya defeated Uganda by eight wickets in their first-round meeting.
Kigali preparing Uganda for Nigeria
While the Cranes are chasing another ILT20 Continent Cup title, the Kigali campaign is also an important part of Uganda’s preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier in Nigeria.
Uganda arrived in Kigali with seven new faces compared to the squad that featured in the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League B in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Five of those players have made their T20I debuts during the tournament — Anas Baig, Gerald Olipa, Fahad Mutagana, Charles Musemeza and Enock Kasaija.
The tournament has therefore provided the technical team with a valuable platform to expose the new players to international T20 cricket while also testing combinations and building squad depth ahead of the Nigeria assignment.
For the emerging players, matches against established regional opponents such as Kenya and Rwanda provide important experience in high-pressure international conditions.
The Cricket Cranes will now have two more opportunities against Kenya to fine-tune their preparations before turning their attention to the next phase of their World Cup qualification journey.
ILT20 CONTINENT CUP
Game Seven – Match Summary
Uganda 188/2 (20 overs)
Robinson Obuya 118*, Gerald Olipa 35*, Anas Baig 19, Charles Musemeza 9; Emile Rukiriza 1/28, Yves Cyusa 1/20.
Rwanda 116/9 (20 overs)
Isaie Niyomugabo 52*, Nadir Muhammad 19; Cosmas Kyewuta 3/32, Joseph Baguma 3/22, Juma Miyagi 2/8, Matthew Musinguzi 1/17.
Uganda won by 72 runs
Player of the Match: Robinson Obuya
Points Table
Team M W L Pts NRR
Kenya 7 7 0 14 +3.456
Uganda 7 6 1 12 +3.715
Rwanda 8 4 4 8 +0.599
Botswana 7 1 6 2 -2.756
Sierra Leone 7 0 7 0 -5.021
NEXT FIXTURE – FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Kenya vs. Uganda, 10.30am
Venue: Gahanga International Cricket Stadium, Kigali
Status: Final round-robin fixture
ILT20 CONTINENT CUP FINAL – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Kenya vs. Uganda
Venue: Gahanga International Cricket Stadium, Kigali
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