Olipa half-century fires Cricket Cranes to winning start in IL T20 Continent Cup title defence

Match Summary

Uganda 250/3, Musemeza 89, Olipa 83* and Riazat 32* beat Sierra Leone 136/4 Alusine Turay 78 by 114 runs

Gerald Olipa’s explosive unbeaten 83 off 34 balls helped the Cricket Cranes launch their ILT20 Africa Continental Cup title defence in emphatic fashion, as Uganda cruised to a 114-run victory over Sierra Leone at Gahanga Cricket Stadium B in Kigali on Wednesday.

Chasing a third consecutive Continental Cup title, Uganda posted a record 250 for three, their highest-ever T20 International total, after winning the toss and opting to bat before restricting Sierra Leone to 136 for four in their 20 overs.

Charles Musemeza laid the foundation for Uganda’s imposing total with an impressive 89 off 57 balls, striking eight fours and five sixes.

He found valuable support from Robinson Obuya, who smashed 37 off 20 deliveries after Uganda lost Anas Baig for a duck in the opening over.

Uganda had a third wicket partnership of 127 runs between Olipa and Musemeza.

Olipa then produced a sensational finish, blasting an unbeaten 83 from just 34 balls.

Gerald Olipa holding the pause after playing a straight drive that went for runs

His innings featured four fours and nine sixes, earning him the Player of the Match award on his T20I debut.

Captain Riazat Ali Shah added further fireworks in the final overs, hammering an unbeaten 32 from only eight balls. Uganda plundered 46 runs from the final two overs to reach 250 for three.

Sierra Leone faced a daunting target of 251 but struggled to match Uganda’s scoring rate.

Alusine Turay provided some resistance with a spirited 78 off 50 balls, but Uganda’s bowlers maintained control throughout the chase.

Juma Miyaji claimed two wickets for 18 runs, while vice-captain Kenneth Waiswa also picked up two for 20 as Sierra Leone ended their 20 overs on 136 for four.

The emphatic victory gives the Cricket Cranes two valuable points and an ideal start as they seek to win a third successive ILT20 Africa Continental Cup title, having lifted the trophy in Nairobi in 2023 before successfully defending it in Kigali in 2024.

Uganda will return to action tomorrow Thursday September 10th at 10:30 Am (EAT) when they face Botswana in their second match of the tournament.

The Continental Cup is also an important opportunity for Uganda’s technical team to assess the squad’s T20 depth ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier that will happen next month in Nigeria.