UGANDA took just 10 balls to chase down Gambia’s total of 27 and register a 10-wicket victory in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier C match at NCF Oval 2 in Abuja, Nigeria, on Friday.
Gambia’s innings lasted only 8.2 overs, with Riazat Ali Shah and Enock Kasaija taking three wickets each before Robinson Obuya struck an unbeaten 20 off six balls to complete a remarkably brief contest.
Uganda reached 28 without loss in 1.4 overs, with 110 balls remaining.
Gambia were in trouble almost immediately after Ali Shah bowled Modou Bojang for a duck with the second ball of the innings and followed it up by bowling Frank Campbell with his next delivery.
Neither opener had scored, leaving Gambia at zero for two after just three balls.
Muhammed Manga and Aniru Conteh tried to steady the innings, but their partnership produced only four runs before Kasaija bowled Conteh for one in the fourth over.
Manga, who made seven off 13 balls, including a four, became Ali Shah’s third victim when he was trapped lbw in the fifth over.
By then, Gambia were 12 for four, and their prospects of posting a competitive total had all but disappeared.
Kasaija removed captain Abubacarr Kuyateh and David Demba, both for one, to leave Gambia struggling at 17 for six after six overs.
He finished with three for 14 from four overs, while Ali Shah returned three for 11 from three overs, including a maiden.
There was little relief when the bowling changed.
Alpesh Ramjani took two wickets for just two runs in his only over, dismissing Musa Jobarteh and wicketkeeper Ousman Bah without either scoring.
Mustapha Suwareh was run out without facing a ball, leaving Gambia nine wickets down for 19 in the seventh over.
Andre Jarju provided almost all the resistance, remaining unbeaten on 15 from 15 deliveries, including a four.
He was the only Gambian batter to reach double figures and accounted for more than half of his team’s runs.
Jarju and Malang Touray added eight for the final wicket before Joseph Baguma had Touray stumped by Charles Musemeza for one.
Baguma’s figures of one wicket for no runs from two deliveries completed a bowling effort in which four Ugandan bowlers shared the wickets.
Five Gambian batters were dismissed without scoring, while four others managed just one run each.
With only 28 needed to win, Uganda’s openers had no reason to hold back.
Obuya hit three sixes in his six-ball innings, scoring 20 not out at a strike rate of 333.33.
Anas Baig added six not out from four balls, including a boundary, as the pair completed the chase without losing a wicket.
Gambia captain Kuyateh conceded 17 runs in his only over, while Jobarteh was hit for 11 from four deliveries.
The result was settled in just 10 overs of cricket across both innings, with Uganda needing fewer than two overs to overhaul a total Gambia had taken more than eight overs to compile.
Ali Shah was named Player of the Match for his three for 11, having removed two batters in the opening three deliveries and returned to dismiss Manga before Gambia could recover.
Kasaija’s three wickets and Ramjani’s two ensured the early damage was followed by an equally swift finish.
Uganda’s victory in Match 9 of the qualifier was built on an innings in which Gambia never reached 30 and a chase that was over before the second over had been completed.
