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Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Uganda's bowlers and Riazat seal their first win in T20 World Cup history

Riazat Ali Shah's knock took Uganda home ICC via Getty Images

Uganda 78 for 7 (Riazat 33, Miyagi 13, Nao 2-16) beat Papua New Guinea 77 (Hiri 15, Nsubuga 2-4, Miyagi 2-10) by three wickets

A hard-fought three-wicket win on a challenging pitch gave Uganda their maiden win at the T20 World Cup. They beat Papua New Guinea (PNG) in a low-scoring game in Guyana where both teams vied for their first win in the competition. PNG's batting crumbled to 77 all out after being put to bat, before Uganda, themselves in trouble at 26 for 5, reached home in the 19th over.

Riazat Ali Shah, one of Uganda's rising stars, used a low backlift in his careful 33 off 56 to shepherd them through the tricky chase, falling just three runs shy of Uganda's target. PNG were left to rue their poor batting, but they also conceded 15 wides, the second-biggest contribution on the scorecard.

But the story of the evening was Uganda's bowling in the first innings, set up by the pair of 43-year old Frank Nsubuga and 21-year old Juma Miyagi.

Both vindicated their inclusion in this game with superb spells. Nsubuga bowled the most economical spell (minimum four overs) in T20 World Cup history, with figures of 4-2-4-2. He also became only the second bowler to bowl 20 dot balls in a T20 World Cup game, after Ajantha Mendis in 2012.

Ugandan pace rocks PNG

Alpesh Ramjani gave Uganda a wicket on the second ball when left-hand batter Assad Vala played back to the left-arm spinner, who angled the ball from around the wicket and on to the stumps. Miyagi and Cosmas Kyewuta then kept PNG on the back foot with their pace.

Left-hand batter Sese Bau couldn't clear Miyagi over mid-off where Roger Mukasa took a tumbling catch going backwards. Kyewuta then got the big one when Tony Ura, PNG's highest run-scorer in T20Is, also holed out to Mukasa. Lega Siaka was run out for 12 in the seventh over, trying to take a second run as he felt under pressure playing out dots against the two fast bowlers.

Nsubuga on target

When Nsubuga slid one through Charles Amini's leg stump in the 11th over, he became the second-oldest bowler to take a wicket in the T20 World Cup. Nsubuga then had Hiri Hiri lbw although on first view it looked like the batter had come too far down the wicket. The review, though, went in Uganda's favour.

Ramjani's second wicket came when he also trapped Kiplin Doriga lbw for 12. Captain Brian Masaba then got into the act with a topspinner that went through Chad Soper's defences. Miyagi and Kyewuta took the last two wickets, as PNG were bowled out with five balls to spare.

Nao hits back

Alei Nao gave PNG an identical start to PNG when he removed Mukasa in the first over for a second straight duck. Norman Vanua then removed Robinson Obuya who holed out to mid-on where Vala didn't have to move to complete the catch.

Nao then had Simon Ssesazi lbw in the third over as PNG slipped to a perilous 6 for 3. Ramjani then struck a nice boundary through the off side as he and Riazat tried to get Uganda out of trouble. Soper, though, got the seam-up delivery to scissor through Ramjani in the sixth over. When PNG captain Vala had Dinesh Nakrani caught and bowled, PNG were on the ascendancy.

Riazat's calmness prevails

When Uganda were 35 for 5, Amini dropped Riazat when he was on 8. It was a simple chance at point after Riazat had played a false shot, but it turned out to be the turning point in Uganda's chase. Riazat registered his only boundary in the 11th over when he struck a nice cover drive against Vala.

He added 35 runs for the sixth wicket with Miyagi, but the latter was run out after a mix-up in the 14th over. Riazat kept calm despite the dismissal, though PNG also kept helping Uganda. Bau dropped Kenneth Waiswa on 4, although Riazat finally fell in the 18th over. John Kariko took a good catch at deep third, though it was a little too late for PNG.

Uganda 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st1RG MukasaS Ssesazi
2nd5S SsesaziR Obuya
3rd0S SsesaziRiazat Ali Shah
4th19Riazat Ali ShahAR Ramjani
5th1DM NakraniRiazat Ali Shah
6th35Riazat Ali ShahJ Miyagi
7th14K WaiswaRiazat Ali Shah
8th3B MasabaK Waiswa

ICC Men's T20 World Cup

Super Eights, Group 1
TeamMWLPTNRR
IND33062.017
AFG3214-0.305
AUS3122-0.331
BAN3030-1.709
Super Eights, Group 2
TeamMWLPTNRR
SA33060.599
ENG32141.992
WI31220.963
USA3030-3.906
Group A
TeamMWLPTNRR
IND43071.137
USA42150.127
PAK42240.294
CAN4123-0.493
IRE4031-1.293
Group B
TeamMWLPTNRR
AUS44082.791
ENG42153.611
SCOT42151.255
NAM4132-2.585
OMA4040-3.062
Group C
TeamMWLPTNRR
WI44083.257
AFG43161.835
NZ42240.415
UGA4132-4.51
PNG4040-1.268
Group D
TeamMWLPTNRR
SA44080.47
BAN43160.616
SL41230.863
NED4132-1.358
NEP4031-0.542