Uganda’s route to the T20 World Cup: ‘It’s nothing

Facilities are not the best – and the government wants them out of their home – but long-term plan for qualification has paid off

The nets at the Lugogo Cricket Oval in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, are not ideal for a budding fast bowler. The lanes are set up on a concrete slab that only allows for a spinner’s run-up. Any brave soul wanting to fling the ball at pace has to negotiate an awkward step between the barren patch of land that borders the cricket field and the platform upon which the weathered nets reside. Mind your ankles.

But on a visit to the country nine years ago, I was struck by the queues of bowlers forming under the late afternoon sun, unperturbed by the prospect of injury as they skipped in to bowl. Some even donned Uganda shirts. This is a ground that could do with a lick of paint but it can also lay claim to being the home of cricket in Uganda, having hosted men’s and women’s internationals.