Afghanistan and Uganda take remaining two places in ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier by ICC Media Release

---

Event:

ICC World Cricket League Division Three 2008/09

---

DateLine: 2nd February 2009

 

Kamyuka’s outstanding all-round display in Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 3 gives Uganda promotion spot, while skipper stars to keep the dream alive for Afghanistan

 

 

Heart-broken PNG misses out on net run-rate as Cayman Islands and Argentina are relegated to WCL Div. 4

 

 

Afghanistan and Uganda achieved a place in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier after recording victories in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

 

 

Afghanistan captain Narooz Mangal inspired a brilliant 82-run win over Cayman Islands to give his team the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 3 (WCL Div. 3) title, following on from its successive title wins in Jersey in Division 5 and Tanzania in Division 4.

 

 

It has already been a remarkable journey for this Afghanistan side having come through three tournaments played on three continents, keeping alive the team’s dream of making it through to the world’s premier 50-over tournament.

 

 

And Uganda also managed to secure a top-two position in the final standings after dismissing Argentina for 83, achieving a significant enough improvement in its net run-rate to finish ahead of Papua New Guinea (PNG), which just missed out despite having lost only one group game in the competition.

 

 

Uganda had player of the tournament Kenneth Kamyuka to thank after yet another high-quality all-round display. His crucial innings of 38 coupled with three wickets transformed the low-scoring match and swung it in his side’s favour.

 

 

Afterwards, Narooz was proud of his side and believes it is capable of finishing in the top four at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in South Africa thus making it through to the big event in 2011.

 

 

“Today is a very happy day for me as we have won the Division 3 tournament and have made it into the World Cup Qualifier. It is a very big day in the history of Afghanistan cricket,” said Narooz.

 

 

“It will be very hard work in South Africa and we will be playing against some very difficult teams but we are all very happy.

 

 

“It was very special to get the man-of-the-match award as my innings was important for my team but all the team played well. I think if we all work very hard in the next couple of months we have a very good chance of making it to the Cricket World Cup in 2011.”

 

 

In the match against Cayman Islands, Afghanistan ’s top order again failed to fire with Karim Khan and Ahmad Shah both falling early on to leave the team struggling on 27-2. A 69-run partnership for the third wicket between Shafiqullah Shafaq (39) and skipper Narooz then changed the balance of the game, as Afghanistan took advantage of some poor Cayman Islands fielding.

 

 

Mangal (70), restored to the side after his two-match ban earlier in the event, looked in excellent form as he played one of the best innings of the event, scoring seven fours in his 89-ball knock.

 

 

Asghar Stanikzai (66 not out off 62 balls) then took control with a brilliantly timed innings, completing the innings in style with a six over long-on to give Afghanistan a respectable total of 230-8 off 50 overs.

 

 

In reply, a double strike from Mohammad Nabi in the space of one over left Cayman Islands in serious trouble on 41-3, and he was to take two further wickets to leave him with outstanding figures of 4-23.

 

 

Hamid Hassan then came on and bowled his best spell of the tournament, mixing some aggressive, short-pitched deliveries with more controlled, fuller and straighter bowling, including his trademark yorker.

 

 

The defeat means Cayman Islands joins Argentina in being relegated to WCL Div. 4, which will be played in 2010.

 

 

Meanwhile, Uganda did enough to make it through to the qualifier after an outstanding victory over Argentina. The Africans got off to a terrible start and looked in danger of limping to a tiny total against Argentina as it collapsed to 46-5.

 

Indeed, were it for not for the heroics of Kamyuka, who has saved his team throughout the week with both bat and ball, Uganda would have struggled to reach three figures. But the hard-hitting ninth-wicket stand of 59 between Kamyuka (38) and Danniel Ruyange (35) helped transform the game and set the target of 183 to win, a total the Argentina players knew was more than it should have been.

 

 

And then it was Kamyuka who starred again for Uganda. His figures of 3-26 did the trick as the host crumbled to 83 all out and succumbed to a fifth consecutive defeat with only opener Matias Paterlini (26) putting up any resistance.

 

 

“We have a lot of work to do ahead of the qualifier. Although our bowling and fielding has been good we need to improve our batting,” said Uganda coach Ebrahim Mohamed.

 

 

“Wouldn’t it be nice to see Uganda playing in the Cricket World Cup in 2011?” he added with a smile.

 

 

The coach also paid tribute to his star performer, Kamyuka, who was clearly the best performer of the tournament.

 

 

“He is very talented and he has performed excellently during this week. With some hard work I think he could become a very good player in the future,” he said.

 

 

The fixtures for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier (CWCQ) in South Africa from 1 to 19 April will be released shortly. The top four sides at that event qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, while a top-six place will secure ODI status for the next four years as well as automatic qualification for the ICC Intercontinental Cup.

 

 

Afghanistan progresses as the first qualifier to the CWCQ and will take up its position in Group B along with Kenya, Netherlands, Bermuda, UAE and Denmark. Uganda goes into Group A with Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Oman and Namibia.

 

 

The Pepsi ICC World Cricket League gives a clear pathway for the ICC’s Associate and Affiliate Members towards the ICC Cricket World Cup. From Division 7 right up to the top Associate teams in Division 1, every side in the world knows exactly what it has to do to get through to the premier one-day competition in cricket.

 

 

Score summaries (day six):

 

 

At Belgrano: Uganda 182 all out, 47.4 overs (Arthur Kyobe 41, Kenneth Kamyuka 38, Danniel Ruyange 35; Esteban Nino 3-47)

 

Argentina 83 all out, 33.2 overs (Kenneth Kamyuka 3-26)

 

Uganda won by 99 runs

 

 

At Corimayo: Afghanistan 230-8, 50 overs (Norooz Mangal 70, Asghar Stanikzai 66 not out)

 

Cayman Islands 148 all out, 45 overs (Mohammad Nabi 4-23, Hamid Hassan 3-16)

 

Afghanistan won by 82 runs

 

 

 

Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 3 table (final)

 

 

Team Pld W L Pts NRR

 

Afghanistan 5 4 1 8 +0.971

 

Uganda 5 4 1 8 +0.768

 

PNG 5 4 1 8 +0.665

 

Hong Kong 5 2 3 4 +0.005

 

Cayman Is 5 1 4 2 -1.384

 

Argentina 5 0 5 0 -1.031

 

 

(Afghanistan and Uganda progress to the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in April while Cayman Islands and Argentina are relegated to Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 4)