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Uganda’s national cricket team, the Cricket Cranes, secured a historic qualification for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup by defeating Rwanda with a nine-wicket victory. Captain Brian Masaba led the team’s strong performance, with key contributions from bowlers Alpesh Ramjani and Henry Ssenyondo. Uganda will join South Africa and Namibia in representing Africa at the upcoming World Cup in the United States and West Indies.

After seeing off neighbours Kenya by 33 runs on wednesday, Uganda’s national cricket team — and the keenly following cricketing world — knew it would be only a matter of time, hours in fact, until they sealed their historic qualification to the T20 Cricket World Cup.

Indeed, come Thursday and with Rwanda standing in their way, the Cricket Cranes applied the long-awaited gloss to their qualification campaign with a nine-wicket victory over their East African neighbours to book their spot in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Uganda will represent Africa along with South Africa and Namibia at next year’s competition that will take place in the United States and West Indies in June.

In their final act at the Wanderers Cricket Ground in Namibia’s capital Windhoek, the Brian Masaba-captained Cricket Cranes won the toss and elected to bowl first.

The Rwandans, captained by Clinton Rubagumya, saw their wickets fall and their men bowled out.

At the heart of Uganda’s assault was Alpesh Ramjani, Henry Ssenyondo and Masaba as the top bowlers.  Ramjani was the Cranes’ most productive bowler, conceding only one run from three overs bowled for a superb economy rate of 0.33.

When roles got switched, Uganda were left with the easy task of chasing 66 runs, an embarrassment of riches for a side that did so with so much ease to confirm their place in next year’s World Cup.

By sealing their qualification, Uganda will become only the fifth African nation to appear at an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Their win over Rwanda was the fifth from the six games they have played at these African qualifiers in Namibia, which has guaranteed the Cricket Cranes a top-two finishes in the qualifiers, behind hosts Namibia.

Uganda opened their qualification campaign with an eight-wicket win over Tanzania, before falling to a six-wicket defeat to the hosts in their second game.

Next up in the Cranes’ way was a tricky Zimbabwe side, one of the favourites. But the Ugandans beat all odds to emerge victorious in this one by five wicket. They then easily skipped over their next hurdle in the form of Nigeria.

After seeing off neighbours Kenya with a 33-run win, Uganda knew they were just about there, as they went on to confirm their destiny with a comfortable victory over Rwanda.