Dominant Hosein Leads West Indies to Crushing Victory Over Uganda in T20 World Cup

Uganda 39 (Miyagi 13*, Hosein 5-11, Joseph 2-6) was defeated by West Indies 173 for 5 (Charles 44, Russell 30*, Masaba 2-31) by 134 runs.

On a sluggish Providence deck, that spell sent West Indies racing to a 134-run triumph. In support of Hosein’s stint, the seamers produced some outstanding wicket balls of their own. They together sent Uganda reeling, scoring 39 all out, which was tied for the lowest total in the T20 World Cup. Earlier, the West Indies battled their way to 173 for 5, paced by Johnson Charles’ 44 off 42 and Andre Russell’s 30 not out off 17. These were tough batting conditions.

Despite at least two wasted opportunities, Uganda was generally strong in the field and tenacious with the ball. Despite the fact that a number of West Indies hitters got off to starts, Uganda’s slow bowlers in particular managed to hold them back.

It was a dream spell. From the opening ball, a left-arm spinner’s stock ball, ragging past Roger Mukasa’s outside edge, it was evident that Hosein would obtain strong turn when he chose to put revs into the ball.

But Hosein’s greatest weapon in this game was his flawless control and drift/swing ability. Mukasa was hit with a seam-up ball next, which curled in and collided with the sweeping batter in front of the middle and off. The ball that hit Alpesh Ramjani in front of midfield in the subsequent over had likewise moved late in the air.

The swinging seam-up ball struck possibly Uganda’s best batsman, Riazat Ali Shah, even more forcefully, watching it crash into middle stump.

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Then, employing movement in the air before pitching, Hosein dismissed Dinesh Nakrani and Kenneth Waiswa in his final over, the seventh of the innings, with the first being bowled and the second being out for a leg before wicket. With all their batting resources expended and little chance of even matching their previous lowest total of 58 against Afghanistan last week, he left Uganda struggling at 23 for 7.

Although a Charles innings isn’t typically described as an anchor, that’s exactly what it was in this particular game. Even though he started the powerplay with a few fours through cover and eventually worked his way up to some sixes, he finished with just 24 off 21 balls.

However, by keeping him at the crease, other batters were able to play with greater aggression; the majority of the West Indies top order simply waited for balls to come into their area before hitting sixes. The largest of the day was scored by Rovman Powell, who launched a 107-meter rocket off Frank Nsubuga’s bowling over the top of a stand.

The fact that the West Indies failed to score a six after the fourteenth over speaks much about the quality of this surface and the persistence of Uganda’s bowlers. Nevertheless, Russell and Sherfane Rutherford managed to supply the final surge to the West Indies.

Russell utilized this technique most skillfully in the last over, hitting Cosmas Kyewuta for two fours through point and then hitting a couple more boundaries off the outside edge. West Indies made 45 runs in total off the final four overs.