ICC Intercontinental Cup and Shield

NAMIBIA v UGANDA The match was originally scheduled as a home game for Uganda but, following bomb attacks in Kampala on 11 July 2010, the ICC expressed concerns about security and switched the venue to the United Sports Club Ground in Windhoek. The Uganda Cricket Association appealed, submitting security proposals for the players and officials and offering to stage the match in Entebbe. Perhaps it was reasonable for the ICC to reject these, but the decision to play in Namibia seemed harsh when the match could have been played at a neutral venue. Under the circumstances, the choice of the ICC to have two Namibian on-field umpires seemed insensitive even though there was no question of their competence or impartiality. Namibia’s captain chose to field on winning the toss and seemed to have the initiative when the visitors were 85 for three, Louis Klazinga and Craig Williams sharing the wickets with some well-directed pace bowling. Akbar Baig provided stout defence, his 40 runs coming at a strike rate of 24.3. In contrast, Benjamin Musoke struck 50 at a rate of 95.1 in a fourth-wicket partnership of 76. After the dismissal of both Baig and Musoke, Lawrence Sematimba contrived to score runs and keep much of the strike as he went to his maiden first-class hundred. Franco Nsubuga helped with a partnership of 54 but otherwise Sematimba received little assistance. When he was ninth out, having made 106 with 15 fours and one six, the innings ended two balls later. Overall, Uganda were well pleased with their score of 329 all out. The second day belonged almost entirely to Namibia. Following an opening stand of 55, made at a run a ball, Ewald Steenkamp and Sarel Burger consolidated with a partnership of 124 for the second wicket. Steenkamp scored 70% of the runs whilst Sarel Burger provided the anchor. Craig Williams was involved in useful stands with Sarel Burger and Louis Burger and at the close was undefeated in partnership with Gerrie Snyman. The latter was unusually subdued taking 59 balls to accumulate 12 runs. Although Namibia batted almost like a run-making machine to end the day only nine runs behind with six wickets left, Uganda set a superb example by not dragging out proceedings through unnecessary time-wasting. Instead, they tried seven bowlers in an attempt to secure wickets and delivered 109 overs, nineteen over the daily target. Uganda began well on the third morning, removing Williams in the first over, followed fairly quickly by Bjorn Kotze. Thereafter, the run-machine was back in action. Snyman and Louis van der Westhuizen made 115 for the seventh wicket and Tobias Verwey and Louis Klazinga 99 for the ninth wicket, at a strike rate of 104.2. The last wicket produced 31 runs as Namibia achieved a first-innings lead of 280. Remarkably, in their score of 609, no one made a hundred, the innings thus becoming the highest in first-class cricket not to include a century, beating the 605 made by Madhya Pradesh against Haryana in 1998/99. All Namibia’s batsmen reached double figures, but this was less remarkable, being the 122nd time it has occurred in first-class cricket. Uganda experienced the difficulties of trying to start an innings towards the end of the day and lost two wickets whilst moving to 77 at the close, with Roger Mukasa on 48 not out. Namibia made Uganda’s task of obtaining a draw more difficult on the last morning by removing Hamza Almuzahim with the first ball of the day and Musoke soon after. Mukasa and Sematimba then gave Uganda hope with a stand of 117 off 200 balls, combining defence and keeping the score moving so as to reduce the deficit. Mukasa was the first to go, leg-before to Louis Burger; his 121 runs came at a strike rate of 50.4 and included 13 fours. Sematimba was bowled by Williams four runs later, after which Uganda could offer only token resistance. Nsubuga and Emmanuel Isaneez defended for 17.1 overs, whilst adding 37 runs for the eighth wicket, before Klazinga returned to the attack to take the last three wickets. Uganda did just enough to make Namibia bat again but their target of 16 was a formality, achieved in four overs. 236 ICC Intercontinental Shield 2009-10