By 
Wednesday 13 November
- Uganda Vs Italy-Entebbe Cricket Oval (10 am)
The Cricket Cranes of Uganda will be set to present a newly built Italy side with Challenge in the ICC CWC Challenge League B at Entebbe Cricket Lake side Oval on Wednesday morning
After playing three games with no defeat, any team would have the feel that hosts Uganda are the side to pose challenge on any day and Italy is no exception.
Uganda’s first two wins against Singapore and Tanzania were dominant ones with a 7-wickets in Entebbe and 209 runs in Lugogo respectively.
Cricket Cranes celebrating wicket over Singapore.
However the third, was derailed by rain on Sunday afternoon with Hong Kong in the chase of 292 runs at 72/3 after 15.2 overs each side sharing a point.
While Italy on the other side, have also reached this stage with two wins over Tanzania by 9 wickets using DLS method with 98 balls left and Hong Kong with 155 runs.
With Italy last defeating Uganda in a cricket match in 2012, this will be the European side’s other attempt to try to grab a win having lost the previous Four (2013, 2019 and twice in 2022).
This will be a much improved SouthAfrica born- Gareth Berg Italy side with 35 year old, Burns is a former player of Australia, Emilio Gay, Joe Burns and skipper Marcus Campopiano from Middlesex, England
But in the scope is Australian grown Harry Manenti who executed a splendid performance with a 80-ball century of 114 runs (not out) to help Italy set 342/4 which is currently the tournament’s highest score.
Therefore Uganda must be at their best with the bat with the home advantage in mind and vigilant with the ball in-order to limit Italy.
Talking of the Bat, Cricket Cranes Captain Riazat Ali Shah has done justice to his name contributing a century (104) against Tanzania in stellar style, his maiden in List A cricket following it with a half century (80) against Hong Kong, a game that was abandoned on Sunday.
Just Alphesh Rajmani who has also done well putting up (74) against Tanzania to compliment the Captain’s great display meaning that Uganda is well covered in the middle and back end of the batting order
With Abhay Sharma’s boys facing questions of if the team can do better on the word go-
On the bowling bit, Sharma again will face a selection problem of choosing either medium pace-bowler Raghav Dhawan or Right arm Fast medium/ Offbreak bowler, Brian Masaba who was unlucky with an early leg before wicket against Hong Kong.
However Masaba looks like he brings more to the table than just his game, the leadership that would help in organization on the Oval.
For Frank Nsubuga, who is yet to play part in League B action, his getting into the team could come at the expense of one of the medium pace bowlers in Cosmas Kyewuta or Juma Miyagi.
With the nature of Entebbe Cricket Oval’s size, there would be cause of alarm but both sides have looked comfortable with scoring runs on the ground.
At the end of the day both sides will look to grab a result in-order to top the Challenge League B.
