Result
- Uganda 289/7 in 50 overs
- Tanzania 80/10 in 27.5 overs
- Uganda won by 209 runs
Riazat Ali Shah led Uganda to a dominant 209-run victory over Tanzania on Saturday in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Challenge League B. He became the first captain of the Cricket Cranes to score a List A century, making 104 runs off 85 balls.
Riazat came to bat at No. 5 after the fall of Robinson Obuya (39) in the 20th over. He quickly took control, hitting 5 fours and 6 sixes. His performance was similar to a match in 2022, when he led Uganda to an Africa Cup win over Tanzania with a brilliant 98*.
Riazat’s biggest partnership came with fellow all-rounder Alpesh Ramjani. The two shared a 151-run stand, with Ramjani contributing 74 runs off 48 balls. Riazat was caught on the last ball of the innings, but Uganda had set a tough target of 290 runs for Tanzania.
Uganda’s bowlers then took charge. Cosmas Kyewuta was the standout, taking 5 wickets and helping bowl Tanzania out for just 79 runs in 27.5 overs. Juma Miyaji, Alpesh Ramjani, and Henry Ssenyondo also took wickets to seal the win.
With this victory, Uganda remains unbeaten and is at the top of the table on net run rate, ahead of Italy. The Cricket Cranes will face Hong Kong next, while Italy, who also won their match, will return to action on Tuesday against Bahrain.
Tanzania, on the other hand, will need to bounce back quickly after this heavy defeat.
