Akeal Hosein’s exceptional performance, taking 5 for 11, led West Indies to a commanding 134-run victory over Uganda in the T20 World Cup. This result brought Uganda crashing back to reality following their historic win over PNG just three days earlier. Uganda’s innings crumbled to 39 all out, equaling the lowest total ever recorded in men’s T20 World Cup history.
This decisive win not only boosts West Indies' Net Run Rate (NRR) significantly but also impacts New Zealand’s prospects in Group C, as they have only played one match and have a negative NRR.
Key Moment: PowerPlay Domination
West Indies seized control of the game during the PowerPlay. Hosein set the tone, claiming a wicket in each of his three overs during this phase. Romario Shepherd and Andre Russell added to the damage, leaving Uganda reeling at 22 for 5 by the end of the PowerPlay, from which they could not recover.
West Indies Innings: Strong Start and Steady Progress
PowerPlay: (54/1 [RR: 9.00, 4s/6s: 6/3])
West Indies started aggressively, with openers Johnson Charles and Brandon King striking three fours in a single over from Juma Miyagi. Charles had a lucky escape when dropped at mid-on, but King was bowled by Alpesh Ramjani, leaving West Indies at 54/1 by the end of the PowerPlay. Nicholas Pooran then accelerated the scoring, helping West Indies post a solid start.
Middle Overs: (70/2 [RR: 7.78, 4s/6s: 3/4])
Uganda introduced spin to slow down the run rate, with veteran Frank Nsubuga and captain Brian Masaba leading the effort. Despite some success in containing the runs, Charles and Pooran managed to take 10 off Nsubuga’s first over. Pooran was eventually dismissed trying to break free, and Rovman Powell added quick runs, pushing West Indies past 100 in the 11th over. Masaba continued to rely on spin, with Dinesh Nakrani ending Charles’s innings at 44 off 42 balls.
Death Overs: (49/2 [RR: 9.80, 4s/6s: 7/0])
Although Uganda managed to restrict West Indies somewhat in the final overs and didn’t concede any sixes, the last over leaked 18 runs. Andre Russell's boundary-hitting in the final over, including some lucky edges, helped West Indies to a formidable total of 173/5.
Uganda’s Collapse: A Dominant Display by West Indies
PowerPlay: (22/5 [RR: 4.40, 4s/6s: 3/0])
Hosein’s mastery was evident from the start of Uganda’s chase, trapping Brian Musaka LBW with an arm ball on just the second delivery. He quickly followed up by dismissing Alpesh Ramjani in his next over. Hosein’s third over in the PowerPlay saw him clean-bowl Riazat Ali Shah. Meanwhile, Shepherd and Russell chipped in with wickets, dismantling Uganda’s top order and leaving them at 22/5.
Middle Overs: (17/5 [RR: 2.83, 4s/6s: 0/0])
Continuing his spell, Hosein added two more wickets, including his fifth, by deceiving Dinesh Nakrani with a turning delivery and trapping Kenneth Waiswa LBW with another arm ball. His final figures of 5 for 11 set a new record for the best bowling performance by a West Indian in T20 World Cup history. Uganda's remaining batsmen were quickly cleaned up by Alzarri Joseph and Gudakesh Motie, ending their innings at 39 runs in 12 overs.
Brief Scores:
- West Indies: 173/5 in 20 overs (Johnson Charles 44, Andre Russell 30*; Brian Masaba 2-31)
- Uganda: 39 in 12 overs (Akeal Hosein 5-11, Alzarri Joseph 2-6)
Next Fixtures:
- Uganda will face New Zealand in their final group-stage match in Trinidad after a five-day break.
- West Indies will take on New Zealand in Trinidad on June 12, following a three-day rest period.