Kenya set up a sweet revenge against Uganda at the ongoing ICC under 19 men’s Cricket world cup Africa qualifiers in Lagos, Nigeria.
The Unilang Cricket Pitch was good for Kenyan lads who beat Uganda seven wickets to bundle out Uganda on 69 runs.
Kenya’s pace duo of Neel Doshi and Antony Ndungu delivered a fiery opening spell that left the Ugandan batting lineup in tatters.
Doshi’s devastating hat-trick was the highlight of the day, reducing Uganda to 8 for 4 after just 4.3 overs
Doshi (3 for 13) and Ndungu (3 for 16) were relentless, making it almost impossible for Uganda to recover.
Kenya further tightened their grip when Krishil Patel was introduced into the attack, picking up 4 for 11 to wrap up the Ugandan innings.
Other bowlers that Kenya used in the inning were Akshith Sekar and Stian Smith who despite ending wicketless they were able to put a lot of pressure on the Uganda batsmen
The only resistance from the Ugandan came from Ocen Peter (28) and Balidawa Ali (16), who combined for a 45-run partnership for the last wicket before Uganda was bowled out for 69 in 23.1 overs.
Kenya’s Steady Chase
Chasing a modest target, Kenya had a shaky start, losing Aditya Vekariya and Yuvraj Bhatyani within the first three overs with only eight runs on the board.
However, Stian Smith (29) and Rayan Kassam (16) steadied the innings, adding 32 runs in 12.3 overs before Smith was caught behind.
Skipper Yash Gohil then paired with Kassam to see off the remaining runs, their patient approach ensuring no further slip-ups.
The duo batted for 19.2 overs, sealing the win in 34.2 overs with seven wickets in hand.
Revenge for Kenya
This victory was particularly sweet for Kenya, as it avenged their loss to Uganda in the final of the Easter Youth ODI Series held in Jinja in April last year.
With two wins in two matches, Kenya now enjoys a rest day before their next challenge against host nation Nigeria, who suffered a crushing 122-run defeat to Tanzania after being bowled out for just 32 runs in 16.1 overs.
Kenya will look to maintain their winning streak as they inch closer to securing the sole qualification spot for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Additional information, Capital Sports