Riazat Ali Shah: We must learn to finish games

On a Wednesday morning marked by a mix of warmth and bits of rain at the Gahanga Main Oval in Rwanda, the scoreboard told a story of comfort.

Defending Champions Uganda’s Cricket Cranes had just swept past Botswana, chasing down a modest target of 120 with five wickets and five overs to spare at the 2026 ILT20 Continent Cup.

It was win number five of the tournament, their second comfortable victory over the same opponents, keeping them hot on the heels of table leaders Kenya.

Yet, as the players shook hands and the dust settled, captain Riazat Ali Shah wore the expression of a man whose job was far from finished. Cricket Cranes won the toss and opted to bowl first.

The morning began with promise. Uganda’s bowling attack hunted in packs, restricting Botswana to a subpar 119 for eight from their allotted 20 overs. Cosmas Kyewuta and Joseph Baguma led the charge, claiming three wickets apiece.

Baguma was the picture of precision, strangling the opposition with figures of 3 for 20, while Kyewuta chipped in crucially with 3 for 26. Botswana’s Abel Botlhe Keganne fought valiantly with a 47-ball 42, supported by Vinoo Balakrishnan (36), but the total always looked light.

Despite keeping the opposition under 120, Riazat’s sharp eye saw cracks in the foundation. He noted that they gave away too many boundary balls and pointed out that tournament contenders cannot afford defensive lapses, even on a dominant day.

If the bowling raised mild concerns, the batting innings triggered a deeper tactical alarm. The chase couldn’t have started worse. Fahad Mutagana, who debuted a day before, was sent packing for a duck in the second over, setting off early jitters at 15 for one. But Robinson Obuya 32 off 22 and Charles Musemeza 39 off 25 injected fierce momentum, turning the chase into an exhibition of clean hitting.

Then came the familiar, frustrating script. Gerald Olipa added a brisk 19 off 8 balls, but his departure sparked a middle-order wobble. When the dust cleared, Uganda had once again lost five wickets to chase down 120. It was an exact replay of their first encounter with Botswana, another five-wicket stumble for a modest target. Riazat emphasised that losing five wickets repeatedly does not look good on the board, stressing the need for the top order to finish games efficiently after the powerplay.

Thanks to Riazat’s calm, unbeaten 17 and Kenneth Waiswa’s steady 13, Uganda crossed the finish line at 125 for five in 15 overs. But Botswana’s Katlo Piet, who tormented the lineup with a brilliant spell of 4 for 24, had exposed the exact vulnerability the captain had been warning about.

With five wins under their belt, Uganda sits proudly in second place, nipping at Kenya’s heels in the standings. But as the tournament enters its crucial stages, Riazat isn’t looking too far ahead at potential finals or regional rivalries. The immediate battle is against themselves, and the next hurdle is waiting right in their backyard against hosts Rwanda on the morning of Thursday, September 17.

The ILT20 Africa Continental Cup is in its decisive phase under a double round-robin format ahead of the grand finale on Saturday, September 19, between the top two nations in the standings.