🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: Match 32: UGA vs NZ,Trinidad @6am IST🏏

🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: Match 32: UNG vs NZ, Trinidad on 15th June @6am IST🏏

New Zealand for the first time in the history of the T20 World Cup failed to qualify for the second round of the competition. With two defeats to their name, the Kane Williamson-led side is officially out of the tournament but will aim to finish well and give their fans some joy. They are slated to face Uganda on June 15 at Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad, who are out of the race as well but won’t shy away from causing an upset.

New Zealand batters have failed to deliver in the ongoing tournament, which led to their downfall. In the last match, Glenn Phillips made 40 runs off 33 deliveries and tried to get the job done but West Indies eventually picked up a 13-run win. The skipper himself is going through a rough patch as some of his decisions too received a lot of criticism. 

Uganda, on the other hand, were thrashed in their matches against Afghanistan and West Indies. New Zealand won’t be an easy opponent either but Uganda have nothing to lose and should go all-out.

Brian Lara Stadium, Trinidad Pitch Report 

The pitch at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad is known for its sluggish nature. The spinners will get a lot of advantage, which can decide the fate of the game. Bowling first will be ideal and anything over 160 runs will be a good total.

NZ vs UGA Head-to-Head

New Zealand and Uganda will lock horns for the first time in international cricket.

NZ vs UGA Probable Playing XIs

New Zealand (NZ):

Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Kane Williamson (c), Michael Bracewell, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Philips, Mark Chapman, Trent Boult, Lockie Ferguson, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry

Uganda (UGA):

Roger Mukasa, Simon Ssesazi (wk), Robinson Obuya, Riazat Ali Shah, Alpesh Ramjani, Dinesh Nakrani, Juma Miyagi, Kenneth Waiswa, Brian Masaba (c), Cosmas Kyewuta, Frank Nsubuga

NZ vs UGA Probable Best Players of the Match

Probable Best Batter of the Match:

Flamboyant batter Glenn Phillips had a very good time in the middle in the last match. He would fancy to continue with the same form and help New Zealand win their first game in the tournament. He is a very good player of spin and can make a difference against a reasonably weak bowling attack of Uganda.

Probable Best Bowler of the Match:

Trent Boult with the new ball can prove to be extremely dangerous. He picked up three wickets in the last match and will aim to repeat the same against Uganda. The Brian Masaba-led side don’t have enough experience and it would be difficult for them to face the wrath of Boult.

Big picture

For Uganda, for whom the T20 World Cup 2024 has been the biggest and most consequential outing in their many decades of playing senior men's cricket, Friday's match is one last chance to show what they've got at the top level. So far in this tournament, they've been brushed aside by Afghanistan and West Indies. In their most recent match against West Indies, they were all out for 39, their lowest total in T20Is. But then they've also registered a victory against Papua New Guinea, sparking no little joy and satisfaction.

Ugandan cricket has plenty of distance to travel, but it's had a showing at a World Cup now. There has been a heartbeat there for much of the last 50 years, but it's now as loud as it ever has been. Uganda just want to get another solid performance under their belt. An upset? This is of course the dream.

New Zealand, now out of the tournament, having lost badly to Afghanistan then more narrowly to West Indies, have less to gain. Already there are assertions that the greatest era of New Zealand's cricket is over, and some rebuilding must begin. Tim Southee and Trent Boult are not the forces they once were, perhaps, and that top order seems short of firepower.

A big showing against Uganda won't necessarily crush those critiques. But there will at least be an opportunity for a proud group of players to reassert themselves.

Thanks for the tag Soni.

May the best team win.

Cheers..

In the spotlight: Riazat and Williamson

Uganda have some decent bowling stocks, but it's their batting that is seriously deficient, as seen in the match against West Indies. Their best bet for resisting New Zealand's attack is Riazat Ali Shah a batter of Pakistani origin who moved to Uganda from the Hunza Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan to pursue his cricket dreams. Riazat was not only the Player of the Match in their game against PNG but was also their highest run-scorer in the Africa Region Qualifier. His 42 off 28 against Zimbabwe was one of the most telling contributions of that tournament.

Kane Williamson, arguably the centrepiece of New Zealand's greatest cricket era, is captaining a team that bows out of the tournament before they reach the next level. And he is doing it without really having contributed meaningfully to the campaign, scoring 9 and 1 against the top teams in the group. There will be plenty of time to pick apart this World Cup showing. But, for now, Williamson needs some runs.

Pitch and conditions: Slower pitch in Tarouba

No rain is forecast for Tarouba on Friday night. The pitches at the Brian Lara Stadium have not been conducive to run-fests. They have had a bit of turn for the spinners, and rewarded bowlers who take the pace off.

Team news

Barring last-minute injuries, Uganda seem unlikely to make too many changes.

Uganda: 1 Roger Mukasa, 2 Simon Ssesazi (wk), 3 Robinson Obuya, 4 Alpesh Ramjani, 5 Riazat Ali Shah, 6 Kenneth Waiswa, 7 Dinesh Nakrani, 8 Brian Masaba (capt), 9 Juma Miyagi, 10 Cosmas Kyewuta, 1 Frank Nsubuga.

Ish Sodhi is the only member of New Zealand's squad to not get a game so far in this World Cup. He could come into the side if conditions are expected to favour spin.

New Zealand: 1 Devon Conway (wk), 2 Finn Allen, 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Kane Williamson (capt), 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Glenn Phillips, 7 James Neesham, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Lockie Ferguson.

Stats and trivia

• Frank Nsubuga's figures of 2 for 4 against PNG were the most economical by any bowler to have completed their four-over quota in a Men's T20 World Cup game.
• This is the first time in a decade that New Zealand have not made the semi-finals of an ODI or T20 World Cup. The last time they missed out was in 2014.

Back in 2014, in the T20 World Cup held in Bangladesh, New Zealand had failed to go past the group stage. And for the first time in 10 years, across different limited overs World Cups, New Zealand won't be contesting in a semifinal.

For a team that has consistently made it to the final-four over the years in the different versions of the world events, there will definitely be a lot of hurt after the defeats in their first two matches put paid to their chances. And they'll be hoping to vent some of those frustrations on newcomers Uganda.

The African side, despite the heavy losses against Afghanistan and West Indies, had one victory against Papua New Guinea sandwiched between those. They'll be keen to reflect on that and energise themselves as they look to bow out of the competition on a positive note.

That being said, the quality of Afghanistan and West Indies' bowling proved too much to handle for Uganda who were skittled out for 58 and 39 respectively. And they cannot expect any leniency from the New Zealand bowlers who will be stinging from the two losses and looking to come hard.