Uganda 245 for eight wickets (50 ov) beat Canada 174 all out (45.2 ov) by 71runs.
The last ten or so overs of each innings made a significant difference as Uganda beat Canada by 71 runs at the Bay Oval No. 2 ground, Mount Maunganui on Saturday in the last warm-up game before the ICC World Cup Qualifier begins in New Zealand on Monday (January 13, 2014).
Uganda, who chose to bat first, posted 92 runs from the inning’s last 13 overs, to reach 245 for nine after 50 overs. This included an eigth wicket stand of 43 between captain Davis Arinaitwe (24*) and Patrick Ochan (23). Only the Canadian opening bowlers Khurram Chohan and Cecil Pervez kept an economical run rate of less than four runs per over below four in this game. Each bowled ten overs, Chohan capturing 3 wickets for 32 and Pervez 1 for 35. Uganda’s innings had began fairly steadily.
Canadian opener Ruvindu Gunasekera notched 45 runs after making 49 against the Dutch on Friday. His 45 came from a progressive total of 62 for 3 from 19.3 overs. Jimmy Hansra (48) and Raza-ur-Rehman (47) added 91 runs for the fourth wicket before Rehman was bowled at the start of the 40th over. Instead of being a new beginning, this proved a fatal dismissal as the innings folded within six overs: Canada 153 for four (39.1 overs) became Canada 174 all out (45.2 overs).
Ugandan opening bat Abram Mutyagaba retired after making 51 with the score on 98 for one. Number three Hamza Alumuzahim provided a backbone with 79 from 138 balls before being the fifth dismissal of the innings, run out, to leave his side on 193 for five. Eight balls later it was 193 for seven as two fell caught Pervez bowled Dutta….the end was potentially nigh but the eighth wicket pair pulled things around.
Six of nine bowlers used by Uganda took at least one wicket; Otim took one for one from two balls to end the Canadian innings. Five Ugandan bowlers who bowled at least four overs conceded less than four runs an over. The most expensive conceded 4.5 runs an over from four overs.
It must be admitted that one-day cricket is not always fair on faster bowlers, the occasional mis-hit from a flashing blade or a little edge may hurtle away for a boundary, but it would be nice to see the Canadian bowlers repeat and improve on the runs per over achieved against the Dutch. Although it is likely that the Ugandans have been playing more cricket outdoors than the likes of Canada and the Netherlands in the month or more leading into this ICC World Cup Qualifier.
It must surely have been too cold in various recent times for even Canadian lovers of snow and ice cricket to have been outside playing the game with temperatures in the minus 20’s and into the minus 30’s or worse when windchill factors are considered.
It will surely be warmer when the ICC World Cup Qualifier gets underway on Monday. Canada is not playing in the opening round of matches in Group A, but begins with a game against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday (January 15) at the Main Power Oval, Rangiora. Hong Kong are Canada’s opponents next Friday in Rangiora. Canada concludes Group A action with a game against Nepal, coached by Pubudu Dassanayake, on January 21, and conclude with a game against Scotland on January 23. The games against Nepal and Scotland are to be played at the Hagley Oval, Christchurch. All scheduled games include provision for play on a reserve day. The top three from Group A join the top three from Group B for the SuperSix phase of this ICC World Cup Qualifier.
The top two teams from the SuperSix phase will advance from this Qualifier to the 2015 ICC World Cup that is being jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand. The top two in the SuperSix standings will also contest the Final of this Qualifier. In 2009 Canada played and lost to Ireland in the Final of the World Cup Qualifying competition at Centurion Park in South Africa. (EN)