The T20 World Cup on Saturday (IST) saw New Zealand display their might with a commanding nine-wicket victory over Uganda; nevertheless, the huge victory is little more than a consolation for the Kiwis, who are already out from contention for the “Super 8s.”
Trent Boult (2/7) and Tim Southee (3/4) of New Zealand caused mayhem as they bowled Uganda out for a pitiful 40 in 18.4 overs, missing the lowest score in the history of the competition by one run.
After being dismissed for the joint-lowest team total of 39 against the West Indies earlier in the tournament, Uganda’s problems at the bat persisted. Throughout the competition, the gap between the minnows and the elite countries has been glaringly obvious.
The modest chase was spearheaded by New Zealand’s opener Devon Conway (22 not out off 15 4x4s), who in only 5.2 overs secured the Kiwis’ first victory of the tournament. Nevertheless, the triumph arrived too late for New Zealand, who lost to Afghanistan and the host West Indies and missed out on qualifying for the semifinals for the first time in ten years.
The bowlers from New Zealand took advantage of the enormous swing during the powerplay, giving up a pitiful 9/3. Boult took two wickets in the opening over, setting the tone, and Southee took the third in the fourth.
Along with pacer Lockie Ferguson (1/9) and spinners Mitchell Santner (2/8) and Rachin Ravindra (2/9), they all contributed to the wicket-taking frenzy.
In the 18th over, Southee made a comeback and claimed two more wickets, just missing out on a hat-trick. The only other batter from Uganda to achieve double figures was Kenneth Waiswa (11).
