KOLA Burger picked up five wickets as Namibia sealed a comprehensive 205-run victory over Uganda at the Dubai International Cricket stadium on Saturday.
Namibia’s victory was set up by a solid performance from their middle order, after they were sent in to bat. Openers Ewald Steenkamp and Jan-Berrie Burger started steadily adding 40 runs in 12 overs before Deusdedit Muhumuza dismissed Steenkamp. Muhumuza struck again in his very next over, taking a smart return catch to send Jan-Berrie Burger back. Sarel Burger fell on the same score, in the next over, and Namibia looked to be struggling at 42 for 3.However, Craig Williams and Gerrie Snyman combined to wrest the initiative from Uganda with a mammoth 183-run fourth-wicket partnership. Williams, who reached his century off 97 balls, was finally dismissed by Muhumuza in the 46th over. Snyman, who made a half-century in the last match, against UAE, fell 15 runs short of a well-deserved century in the 49th over; his 85 included five fours and four sixes. Louis van der Westhuizen hit some big shots in his 26 as Namibia reached an imposing 272 for 5.Uganda needed a solid start and some big contributions from their batsmen if they were going to make a fist of the chase, but they failed miserably. They lost four wickets within the first six overs with just 16 runs on the board, with Kola Burger picking up three of them. Benjamin Musoke (28) and Lawrence Sematimba (15) – the only two batsmen to reach double figures – tried to offer some resistance, but it was to no avail. Kola Burger picked up two more wickets to end with figures of 5 for 25, his best List A figures, as Uganda slumped to 67 all out in just the 27th over. – espncricketinfo.com
