Match details
Papua New Guinea vs Uganda
June 5, Providence, 7.30pm local
Big picture - A historic first
History beckons when Papua New Guinea take on Uganda in an all-Associate clash in Group C with one of them set for their first win in a T20 World Cup. Both teams know Wednesday's game will be their best shot at collecting two crucial points, having been placed alongside strong teams such as Afghanistan, West Indies and New Zealand in the group.
Both PNG and Uganda are coming off defeats in their opening-round fixtures but that may not necessarily dent their confidence. PNG, who made their T20 World Cup debut in 2021, had lost all of their four matches then but threatened to pull off an upset against co-hosts West Indies a few days ago. A strong team in the East Asia-Pacific region, especially in the shortest format, PNG are capable of handing Uganda - in their first World Cup appearance in any sport - a thrashing.
Uganda are a high-energy team. One of the biggest highlights in their journey to the Caribbean was qualifying ahead of Zimbabwe via the Africa Region Qualifier last year, where they beat Zimbabwe by five wickets. Cut to 2024, up against Afghanistan in the opener, they folded for 58 in chase of 184, and it underlined the gulf between the two sides. Come Wednesday, the gulf may not be massive, thus providing a realistic hope for Uganda - who have played a total of 92 games in this format since achieving the T20I status in 2019 - to etch their name into World Cup history. But can they put up a better show with the bat will be the question?
Form guide
Papua New Guinea LLWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Uganda LWLWW
In the spotlight - Sesse Bau and Roger Mukasa
Sese Bau, one of PNG's prolific batters, is fresh off a half-century against high-quality bowling of West Indies. Having lost the top three for 34 in that game, it was his knock that held the innings for PNG and dragged them to 136. He was comfortable driving Andre Russell down the ground, reverse-sweeping Akeal Hosein and skipping down the track to Gudakesh Motie. Bau, the fourth-highest run-scorer for PNG in T20Is with 941 runs in 45 innings, will be keen to carry forward this momentum into the second game as well.
Roger Mukasa is a solid right-handed top-order batter for Uganda. He has featured in 56 of Uganda's 92 T20Is and accumulated 1186 runs at a strike rate of 121.39. The 35-year old was also the second-highest T20I run-scorer in 2023 with 738 runs. He was dismissed for 0 against Afghanistan but scored an unbeaten 51 off 41 against Namibia in a warm-up game in Tarouba. His contribution at No.3 will be key for Uganda.
Team news
Norman Vanua, PNG's highest wicket-taker in T20Is, was expected to lead the pace attack but missed the first game. It remains to be seen if he will make it to the XI against Uganda.
PNG (probable XI): 1 Tony Ura, 2 Assad Vala (capt), 3 Lega Siaka, 4 Sese Bau, 5 Hiri Hiri, 6 Charles Amini, 7 Kiplin Doriga (wk), 8 Chad Soper, 9 Alei Nao, 10 Kabua Morea, 11 John Kariko
Uganda went in with an experienced XI and used as many as seven bowlers against Afghanistan. With three spinners and four pace-bowling options, they might stick with the same XI.
Uganda (probable XI): 1 Ronak Patel, 2 Simon Ssesazi (wk), 3 Roger Mukasa, 4 Riazat Ali Shah, 5 Dinesh Nakrani, 6 Alpesh Ramjani, 7 Robinson Obuya, 8 Brian Masaba (capt), 9 Bilal Hassan, 10 Cosmas Kyewuta, 11 Henry Ssenyondo
Stats that matter
PNG beat Uganda by eight wickets in 2022, the only time these two sides met in a T20I before the World Cup.
Sese Bau is 59 shy of 1000 runs in T20Is.
Simon Ssesazi is the only Uganda batter to cross 2000 runs in T20Is.
Pitch and conditions
The average score at Providence in men's T20s since the start of 2023 is 159. Of the nine games played in CPL 2023, only two games witnessed 200-plus scores. The surface has been slow traditionally, so spinners might play a crucial role. There are chances of thunderstorms and showers throughout the day.
Quotes
"The joy of playing the game, which is something I love to see, and giving everything when they go out in the middle, giving everything when we come to practice, it's a part of my game and it's a part of what I like to see in teams that I work with. So, seeing that and seeing the energy they have, I remember the first practice session, the energy in just the warm-ups, I was like, how are we going to practice today? But they love it and the enjoyment of being at the World Cup and representing PNG is huge, so I have enjoyed that."
PNG specialist coach Phil Simmons
"It's a baby of the World Cup to be honest, Uganda. That's just a new country to the international, this is the first experience they are facing under lights also. So now they have experienced that. But this team might take a little time. We have to be really patient with these kind of players because if you remember in 1975, India played their first World Cup and if I'm not wrong, they played all 60 overs for 36 [very few] runs - whole 60 overs. So, India was just new to the World Cup, same with Uganda you never know after 15 - 20 years you find that Uganda is holding the trophy somewhere." Uganda coach Abhay Sharma on the team's lack of experience under lights
