Uganda U19 were crowned champions of the High-Performance Cup 2026 after topping the standings in a tightly contested five-match series, sealing the title on consistency despite falling short in their final fixture against Rwanda U19.
Across five days of action at Entebbe Cricket Oval, the Uganda U19 side showed control, depth, and resilience to finish top of the table with three wins from four matches, ahead of Emerging XI and Rwanda U19 on both points and net run rate.
The tournament began in dominant fashion for Uganda U19 on 25/05/2026, when they overpowered Rwanda U19 by 119 runs. Posting 231/10 from their 50 overs, Uganda’s batting unit set a strong platform before their bowlers delivered a ruthless response, bowling Rwanda out for 112 in 36.3 overs.
They followed it up on 26/05/2026 with another composed performance against Rwanda U19, chasing down 168 with 172/5 in 36.4 overs to secure a 5-wicket win and maintain early momentum.
Uganda U19 produced a strong performance to beat Emerging XI by 5 wickets after restricting them to 89 all out. Uganda U19 chased 90/5 in 14.2 overs to secure an important win.
The final group fixture on 29/05/2026 saw Uganda U19 take on Rwanda U19 again in a rain-affected contest. Uganda posted 95 all out in 27.1 overs, but Rwanda chased 93 in 18.3 overs under the D/L method to win by 8 wickets.
Despite that final defeat, Uganda U19 had already accumulated enough points to stay top of the table with three wins from four matches, and a superior net run rate of +0.7198, ahead of Emerging XI and Rwanda U19.
POINTS TABLE FINISH
Uganda U19 finished top with 6 points, followed by Emerging XI on 2 points and Rwanda U19 on 2 points, securing the High Performance Cup 2026 title through consistency across the series.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Best Batter – Robert Owili (Uganda U19)
Best Bowler – Patrick Iradukunda (Rwanda U19)
MVP – Richard Sohera (Uganda U19)
Speaking on behalf of the Rwanda Cricket Association, Rwanda U19 Head Coach expressed appreciation for the tournament and long-standing partnership:
We thank Cricket Uganda for inviting us. In the previous Under-19 series, our team also managed to come here and play in Jinja, and it has been a long-lasting partnership.
Since the day Rwanda Cricket started, Uganda has been very supportive, and we would love this partnership to continue and extend to all areas, including capacity building for coaches.
This has been a very good learning moment for our boys.
In the end, Uganda U19’s campaign was not flawless, but it was effective where it mattered most. Early dominance, timely recoveries, and consistency across matches ensured they lifted the High-Performance Cup 2026 closing the series as deserved champions.