Kenya stands firm in a high-profile thriller with Uganda

The T20 Africa Qualifier for the ICC kicked off Saturday, while Kenya managed to keep its cool. Kigali's new stadium, The Gahanga, was still preparing for an intriguing tournament over the next week, but Uganda started the race by beating 240 for just three wickets in Uganda. their 20 overs.

Dinesh Nakrani made the damage, looting 88 from just 42 balls, with six sixes and eight four in his charge. On the other end, Riazat Ali Shah was just as brutal, with his 74 players who had not come out at an even faster pace, with only 35 balls. The duo added a surprising 167 in just 12.5 overs of batting together, on a pitch that played directly into the hands of the kicking manufacturers.

Kenya entered the tournament as favorites, and they had to have an answer to the carnage to which they had just been subjected. Dhiren Gondaria took on him as captain to do the business, and it was his 90 balls of 46 that took his side to the limit.

He too was hard on the Ugandan bowlers, with seven sixes and five kilts skinned in his shot. But, when he fell with the score on 194 for four after 15.3 overs, there was still work to be done by Kenyans.

Obanda (35) Collins Obuya (29) and R Patel (31) had already contributed to the There was still a finishing job.

Uganda felt that their 240 could be enough, and they would start the tournament with a surprise. But they had not counted on Shem Ngoche (25 out of 11 bullets), who held his nerves and spanked three six to death to take his side home by four wickets, with three bullets to spare in a very remarkable setting

Uganda and Kenya will continue to qualify for the T20 South Africa's ICC World T20 over the next week with a repeat match, as well as two games against Rwanda and Tanzania.