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Percival Sizara in KAMPALA, Uganda—

CHANGE of venue brought with it a different result as Takashinga Cricket Club lost their first match of the Uganda Quadrangular Series after succumbing to Uganda XI by one wicket at the Kyambogo Oval yesterday.Having won the toss, Uganda XI elected to bowl and restricted Takashinga to 167 all out in 46,1 overs before surpassing the target in intriguing fashion with tail-enders Charles Waiswa (20 not out) and Henry Senyondo bringing up the victory at 168-9 in 47 overs.

Uganda XI’s victory opens up the run for the title with only two match days remaining. Takashinga, on 18 points, now carry a slender one-point over Uganda XI thus making the series have a potentially exciting ending.

Takashinga coach Erick Chauluka is under no illusion that Uganda XI have taken the challenge to them.

He says the last two games against Kenya XI today and Uganda Select tomorrow are must-wins.

“It means that we have to go all the way. We have to win two out of two,” he said.

Yesterday, Shingirai Masakadza’s all-round performances were in vain as Takashinga got the plug pulled on them much to the delight of the Uganda crowd.

Shingirai scored 53 off 59 balls to help Takashinga recover from an early slump before chipping in 4-25 that almost turned the game around.

He got support from Forster Mutizwa (31) and Roy Kaia (25) to give Takashinga something to bowl at having been put in a spot of bother by the Ugandan bowling pair of Waiswa (4-20) and Jonathan Ssebanja (4-35) who shared eight wickets.

Takashinga reduced to 58-5 before a match winning 66-run partnership between Kamal Shahzad (62) and Deus Muhumuza (23) revived the hosts.

Chauluka believes his Takashinga wasn’t up to scratch in almost every department.

“I think a lot of things just didn’t go our way. We started with batting we didn’t do well and fielding we didn’t do well as well, lots of fumbles and lots of misfields, and that’s where we lost the game,” he said.