2021–22 Uganda Tri-Nation Series

The 2021–22 Uganda Tri-Nation Series, also known as the Pearl of Africa T20I Series, was a Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket tournament that was held in Uganda in September 2021.^[1] The participating teams were the hosts Uganda, along with Kenya and Nigeria.^[2] The tournament was originally planned to consist of 13 T20I matches, with the sides facing each other four times in a round-robin stage, followed by a final between the top two teams.^[3] The round-robin was later reduced by three matches with each team facing each other three times. The tournament provided preparation for all sides ahead of T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier events took place in October and November 2021.^[4]

2021–22 Uganda Tri-Nation Series
Date	10–17 September 2021
Location	Uganda
Result	Uganda won the tournament
Teams  Kenya  Nigeria  Uganda Captains Shem Ngoche Joshua Ayannaike Brian Masaba[n 1] Most runs Irfan Karim (160) Sesan Adedeji (190) Saud Islam (220) Most wickets Shem Ngoche (9) Prosper Useni (8) Henry Ssenyondo (10)
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Ahead of the T20I tournament, Uganda and Kenya played a three-match 50-over series in preparation for Cricket World Cup Challenge League events scheduled later in 2021.^[5][6]

Kenya defeated their hosts in the first unofficial One Day International (ODI), recording a comfortable win by 78 runs.^[7] Uganda levelled the series by winning the second game by 9 wickets after bowling out the visitors for only 85 runs.^[8][9] Uganda won the third match by 3 wickets to claim the series 2–1.^[10]

Uganda defeated Kenya by 6 runs in the final of the T20I tournament.^[11][12]

Squads

Kenya[13]	Nigeria[14]	Uganda[2]
Shem Ngoche (c) Zahid Abbas Emmanuel Bundi Mohammed Kalyan Irfan Karim (wk) Peter Langat Brian Likavu (wk) Alex Obanda Eugene Ochieng Nelson Odhiambo Nehemiah Odhiambo Steve Odhiambo Lucas Oluoch Elijah Otieno Rushab Patel Vraj Patel Gurdeep Singh Dominic Wesonga	Joshua Ayannaike (c, wk) Rasheed Abolarin Sesan Adedeji Vincent Adewoye Peter Aho Daniel Ajekun Odion Isesele Abdulrahman Jimoh Samuel Mba Isaac Okpe Sylvester Okpe Olayinka Olaleye Chimezie Onwuzulike Sulaimon Runsewe Mohameed Taiwo Prosper Useni Mustapha Yusuf	Brian Masaba (c) Fred Achelam (wk) Richard Agamiire Frank Akankwasa Bilal Hassan Saud Islam Jonathan Kizza Cosmas Kyewuta Deusdedit Muhumuza Gerald Mubiru Dinesh Nakrani Harsh Panchal Ronak Patel Arnold Otwani (wk) Riazat Ali Shah Jonathan Ssebanja Henry Ssenyondo Simon Ssesazi Shahzad Ukani Kenneth Waiswa Charles Waiswa

On 12 September 2021 Cricket Uganda announced that Deusdedit Muhumuza would take over as captain for the remainder of the tournament after Brian Masaba withdrew from the squad due to injury.^[15][16]

Unofficial ODI series

1st unofficial ODI match

4 September 2021 10:00 Scorecard

Kenya  306/7 (50 overs)	v	Uganda 228 (46.2 overs)
Alex Obanda 73 (68) Henry Ssenyondo 3/42 (10 overs)		Riazat Ali Shah 74 (72) Nehemiah Odhiambo 4/15 (5.2 overs)

Kenya won by 78 runs Kyambogo Cricket Oval, Kampala Player of the match: Irfan Karim (Ken)

• Uganda won the toss and elected to field.

2nd unofficial ODI match

5 September 2021 10:00 Scorecard

Kenya  85 (29 overs)	v	Uganda 87/1 (12.1 overs)
Rushab Patel 30 (37) Charles Waiswa 4/15 (7 overs)		Saud Islam 40* (29) Emmanuel Bundi 1/22 (3 overs)

Uganda won by 9 wickets Kyambogo Cricket Oval, Kampala Umpires: Simon Kintu (Uga) and Patric Makumbi (Uga) Player of the match: Charles Waiswa (Uga)

• Kenya won the toss and elected to bat.

3rd unofficial ODI match

7 September 2021 10:00 Scorecard

Kenya  225/7 (50 overs)	v	Uganda 229/7 (44.2 overs)
Emmanuel Bundi 47* (63) Dinesh Nakrani 4/40 (10 overs)		Riazat Ali Shah 55* (50) Shem Ngoche 3/29 (10 overs)

Uganda won by 3 wickets Lugogo Stadium, Kampala Umpires: Baker Elonge (Uga) and Patric Makumbi (Uga) Player of the match: Riazat Ali Shah (Uga)

• Uganda won the toss and elected to field.

T20I tournament

Points table

Team[17]	P	W	L	T	NR	Pts	NRR
Uganda	6	4	1	0	1	9	+1.198
Kenya	6	3	2	0	1	7	+1.412
Nigeria	6	1	5	0	0	2	–2.250

Fixtures

10 September 2021 10:00 Scorecard

Kenya	v	Uganda

No result Entebbe Cricket Oval, Entebbe Umpires: Patric Makumbi (Uga) and Eric Wandera (Uga)

• Kenya won the toss and elected to bat.
• No play was possible due to rain.
• Bilal Hassan (Uga), Zahid Abbas, Peter Langat and Gurdeep Singh (Ken) all made their T20I debuts.

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10 September 2021 14:00 Scorecard

Kenya  151/9 (20 overs)	v	Uganda 129 (19 overs)
Irfan Karim 67 (54) Dinesh Nakrani 2/20 (4 overs)		Saud Islam 61 (49) Nehemiah Odhiambo 3/22 (4 overs)

Kenya won by 22 runs Entebbe Cricket Oval, Entebbe Umpires: Baker Elonge (Uga) and Eric Wandera (Uga) Player of the match: Irfan Karim (Ken)

• Kenya won the toss and elected to bat.

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11 September 2021 10:00 Scorecard

Nigeria  107/8 (20 overs)	v	Kenya 108/2 (11.5 overs)
Peter Aho 26* (21) Shem Ngoche 2/9 (4 overs)		Gurdeep Singh 44 (35) Peter Aho 1/15 (0.5 overs)

Kenya won by 8 wickets Entebbe Cricket Oval, Entebbe Umpires: Simon Kintu (Uga) and Patric Makumbi (Uga) Player of the match: Gurdeep Singh (Ken)

• Nigeria won the toss and elected to bat.
• Vraj Patel, Dominic Wesonga (Ken), Peter Aho, Odion Isesele, Prosper Useni and Mustapha Yusuf (Nga) all made their T20I debuts.

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11 September 2021 14:00 Scorecard

Uganda  152/4 (20 overs)	v	Nigeria 96/6 (20 overs)
Riazat Ali Shah 40 (23) Vincent Adewoye 1/12 (2 overs)		Sesan Adedeji 24 (39) Frank Akankwasa 3/11 (4 overs)

Uganda won by 56 runs Entebbe Cricket Oval, Entebbe Umpires: Baker Elonge (Uga) and Eric Wandera (Uga) Player of the match: Dinesh Nakrani (Uga)

• Uganda won the toss and elected to bat.

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13 September 2021 10:00 Scorecard

Nigeria  123/8 (20 overs)	v	Uganda 124/2 (17 overs)
Peter Aho 44* (38) Henry Ssenyondo 3/15 (4 overs)		Simon Ssesazi 62 (53) Prosper Useni 1/13 (3 overs)

Uganda won by 8 wickets Entebbe Cricket Oval, Entebbe Umpires: Baker Elonge (Uga) and Simon Kintu (Uga) Player of the match: Simon Ssesazi (Uga)

• Nigeria won the toss and elected to bat.
• Simon Ssesazi (Uga) made his T20I debut.

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13 September 2021 14:00 Scorecard

Kenya  162/5 (20 overs)	v	Nigeria 101/7 (20 overs)
Irfan Karim 58 (46) Prosper Useni 2/17 (3 overs)		Daniel Ajekun 22 (38) Vraj Patel 2/11 (4 overs)

Kenya won by 61 runs Entebbe Cricket Oval, Entebbe Umpires: Patric Makumbi (Uga) and Eric Wandera (Uga) Player of the match: Irfan Karim (Ken)

• Kenya won the toss and elected to bat.
• Olayinka Olaleye (Nga) made his T20I debut.

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15 September 2021 10:00 Scorecard

Kenya  123 (20 overs)	v	Uganda 126/6 (19.2 overs)
Alex Obanda 31 (23) Bilal Hassan 4/17 (4 overs)		Simon Ssesazi 63 (55) Shem Ngoche 2/13 (4 overs)

Uganda won by 4 wickets Entebbe Cricket Oval, Entebbe Umpires: Baker Elonge (Uga) and Patric Makumbi (Uga) Player of the match: Simon Ssesazi (Uga)

• Uganda won the toss and elected to field.

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15 September 2021 14:00 Scorecard

Uganda  172/6 (20 overs)	v	Nigeria 117/7 (20 overs)
Saud Islam 75 (61) Rasheed Abolarin 2/26 (4 overs)		Sesan Adedeji 68 (58) Henry Ssenyondo 4/14 (4 overs)

Uganda won by 55 runs Entebbe Cricket Oval, Entebbe Umpires: Simon Kintu (Uga) and Eric Wandera (Uga) Player of the match: Sesan Adedeji (Nga)

• Uganda won the toss and elected to bat.
• Gerald Mubiru (Uga) made his T20I debut.

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16 September 2021 10:00 Scorecard

Nigeria  133/5 (18 overs)	v	Kenya 107/5 (15 overs)
Sesan Adedeji 55 (47) Elijah Otieno 2/23 (4 overs)		Shem Ngoche 41* (30) Rasheed Abolarin 3/8 (2 overs)

Nigeria won by 4 runs (DLS method) Entebbe Cricket Oval, Entebbe Umpires: Patric Makumbi (Uga) and Eric Wandera (Uga) Player of the match: Sesan Adedeji (Nga)

• Nigeria won the toss and elected to bat.
• No further play was possible due to rain.

Final

17 September 2021 14:00 Scorecard

Uganda  120/9 (20 overs)	v	Kenya 114/8 (20 overs)
Ronak Patel 27 (22) Elijah Otieno 3/18 (4 overs)		Gurdeep Singh 44 (43) Frank Akankwasa 2/11 (4 overs)

Uganda won by 6 runs Entebbe Cricket Oval, Entebbe Umpires: Simon Kintu (Uga) and Eric Wandera (Uga) Player of the match: Frank Akankwasa (Uga)

• Uganda won the toss and elected to bat.
• Elijah Otieno became the first bowler for Kenya to take a hat-trick in T20Is.^[18]

Notes

1. Deusdedit Muhumuza took over as captain for the remainder of the tournament after Brian Masaba withdrew due to injury on 12 September 2021.