THE scoreboard never ran away from either side, but Uganda spent most of the morning a few steps ahead.
A composed half-century from Stephanie Nampiina and a bowling effort built on patience rather than panic carried Uganda to a 14-run victory over USA in the Victoria Series 2026 at Entebbe Cricket Ground.
After USA chose to bowl, Uganda’s innings began cautiously. Captain Janet Mbabazi fell for two in the fifth over, and when Proscovia Alako followed soon after, Uganda were 36 for 2 and still searching for momentum.
Nampiina provided it.
While wickets fell around her, she resisted the temptation to force the pace, picking off boundaries when opportunities appeared and keeping the innings together through the middle overs. Her 53 from 51 deliveries, featuring seven fours and a six, was the only half-century of the match and accounted for more than half of Uganda’s runs from the bat.
Rita Musamali played an important supporting role with 22 from 28 balls, helping add substance to an innings that might otherwise have stalled. By the time Nampiina departed in the 17th over, Uganda had established the platform they needed.
A few late runs from Esther Iloku, who finished unbeaten on nine, pushed Uganda to 105 for 6 from their 20 overs.
USA’s bowlers rarely allowed the innings to get away from them. Geetika Kodali stood out with figures of 2 for 15 from four overs, while Ritu Priya Singh, Lekha Shetty, Sainavi Kambalapalli and captain Aditiba Indrajitsinh Chudasama each claimed a wicket.
The chase began steadily enough.
Sainavi Kambalapalli struck 25 and Ella Caterina Claridge added 24, helping USA reach 55 for 3 and remain within sight of the target. Yet just when the innings needed someone to take control, Uganda found a way back.
The decisive sequence arrived midway through the chase. USA slipped from 55 for 3 to 63 for 5, losing momentum and, with it, much of their room for manoeuvre. From there, the asking rate began to climb and Uganda’s bowlers tightened the contest over by over.
Asumin Akurut was central to that shift, finishing with 3 for 22 from four overs. Captain Janet Mbabazi matched the wicket tally with an economical 3 for 13, while Consylate Aweko Nimungu and Immaculate Nakisuuyi chipped in with a wicket each.
USA continued to battle, but the chase never fully recovered. They closed on 91 for 9, still 14 runs short.
The margin reflected the difference between the sides. Uganda had one batter who turned a start into a match-defining innings, while USA’s resistance arrived in smaller pieces that never quite developed into a winning partnership.
For her measured and influential 53, Stephanie Nampiina was named Player of the Match.
