Entebbe, Uganda | July 22, 2025 – Uganda continued their relentless march in the second edition of the Pearl of Africa (POA) T20 Series, clinching a convincing 38-run victory against Nigeria at the picturesque Entebbe Oval.
The win, their fourth in as many matches, saw the Cricket Cranes ascend to the top of the standings with 8 points, underlining their status as favourites ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier in Zimbabwe later this year.
Match Summary – Game 4
Uganda: 147/6 in 20 overs (S Mangela 51, R Dhawan 22, C Kakuru 21*; A Mohammed 2/18)
Nigeria: 109/10 in 18.1 overs (I Okpe 26*, P Useni 17; D Nakrani 3/11, J Baguma 3/32, M Musinguzi 2/21)
Result: Uganda won by 38 runs
Player of the Match: Shrideep Mangela – 51 off 42 balls
Next Match: Uganda A vs. Namibia A – Wednesday July 23, 1:30pm, Entebbe
Sent in to bat after captain Juma Miyaji won his fourth consecutive toss, Uganda handed T20I debuts to Calvin Watuwa, who was capped by pace spearhead Cosmas Kyewuta, and medium pacer Innocent Mwebaze, who received his cap from all-rounder Dinesh Nakrani. Mwebaze marked a long-awaited debut having been part of the World Cup contingent but never played thereafter due to a nagging back injury.
Opener Shrideep Mangela anchored Uganda’s innings with his second career T20I half-century, a composed 51 off 42 balls that featured five boundaries.
Despite the early departure of Robinson Obuya (8) and a measured knock of 22 by Raghav Dhawan, Mangela’s stand provided stability before he fell with the score at 91/3 in the 14th over.
Late-order contributions came from wicketkeeper Cyrus Kakuru (21* off 22 balls), Dinesh Nakrani (10 off 8), and Alpesh Ramjani (13 off 10), propelling Uganda to a competitive 147 for 6.
In reply, Nigeria stumbled early with their top order dismantled by Uganda’s disciplined attack. Captain Miyaji (2/19) and Nakrani (3/11) struck crucial blows, while spinner Mathew Musinguzi (2/21) and debutant Joseph Baguma (3/32) ensured regular breakthroughs.
Baguma, playing his first match of the campaign, impressed immediately by removing key middle-order batters, including the dangerous Peter Aho. Nigeria’s only resistance came from Isaac Okpe’s unbeaten 26 and Prosper Useni’s brisk 17 off 9 balls, but they fell well short, dismissed for 109 in 18.1 overs.
Captain Juma Miyaji lauded his side’s ruthlessness. “Our bowling unit showed class and discipline today. The debutants settled in seamlessly and Mangela’s knock anchored our innings perfectly,” said Miyaji.
Uganda now top the table with 8 points from four outings, followed by UAE on 4 points from three games, Kenya with 2 points, and Nigeria yet to open their account.
Under the inspired leadership of 22-year-old captain Juma Miyaji, Uganda will look to maintain their unbeaten run in their last three outings starting Friday and ending on Sunday evening.
Points Table – Pearl of Africa T20 Series – After Matchday Five
|
Team |
Played |
Won |
Lost |
Tied |
No Result |
Points |
NRR |
|
Uganda |
4 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
1.761 |
|
UAE |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
2.500 |
|
Kenya |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
-0.857 |
|
Nigeria |
4 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
-3.368 |
|
Namibia A |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0.697 |
|
Uganda A |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
-0.100 |
NB: In yellow shade, non-scoring teams.
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