(ICC Photo)
On Saturday, Uganda matched the record for the lowest score ever recorded at a Twenty20 World Cup. They stumbled to a mere 39 runs all out against the West Indies at the Providence Stadium.
The Netherlands also managed to tally 39 runs against Sri Lanka back in 2014. As for the West Indies, after winning the toss and choosing to bat, they posted a commanding 173 for five. This secured them a resounding victory by 134 runs, marking the second-largest margin of victory in T20 World Cup history.
Playing their final match in Guyana before heading to Trinidad to face New Zealand next Wednesday, the West Indies faced difficulties in timing the ball on a sluggish pitch. Despite the challenges, opener Johnson Charles led the charge with 44 runs off 42 balls, including a mighty six, while captain Rovman Powell added another towering six to his innings of 22, landing it on top of the grandstand.
Once again, the explosive Andre Russell took charge, swiftly boosting the scoring rate with four boundaries in the final over. Uganda faced an immediate setback as Roger Mukasa was dismissed lbw by Akeal Hosein off the second ball, setting off a dismal chain of events.
Russell claimed the wicket of Robinson Obuya for six, while Alzarri Joseph contributed with a couple of wickets from his three overs. Amidst Uganda’s struggle, Juma Miyagi stood out as the lone batsman to reach double figures, scoring 13 runs from 20 deliveries.
Left-arm spinner Hosein was the standout performer, taking an impressive five wickets for just 11 runs from his four overs, after opening the bowling.
“I think I needed this,” said Hosein after accepting the man-of-the-match award.
“In the nets and in the previous series I felt the ball was coming out good but I was just not getting the rewards.”
Powell praised Hosein’s performance and expressed his team’s commitment to incremental improvement, aiming to raise their game by 10 to 15% with each match.
“Last game we were flat so we just wanted to improve as a team,” he said. “When you are playing at home the pressure can sometimes get to you.”
