Tarouba (Trinidad): New Zealand put up a clinical performance to notch a comprehensive but a consolatory nine-wicket win over minnows Uganda in the T20 World Cup here on Friday.
Left-arm pacer Trent Boult (2/7) and fellow veteran quick Tim Southee (3/4) wrecked havoc as Uganda folded up for a mere 40 in 18.4 overs.
Uganda had been bowled out for the joint-lowest team total of 39 against West Indies last week. Opener Devon Conway (22 not out off 15, 4x4s) then fuelled New Zealand’s first win of the tournament with the Kiwis knocking off the target in 5.2 overs.
Having lost their opening two games to Afghanistan and hosts West Indies, Black Caps finished outside of the semifinals for the first time in 10 years.
The Kiwis flexed their muscle against debutants Uganda, whose batters continued to struggle in the tournament. The African side has not gone beyond the 80-run mark in the tournament and conclude with three losses and a win.
With the ball swinging prodigiously in the powerplay, New Zealand made the most of it, reducing Uganda to 9/3.
Boult set the tone of the match with twin strikes in the first over. He swung the ball away from a clueless Simon Ssesazi to trap him leg before wicket off the third ball of the innings.
Boult then knocked over Robinson Obuya’s stumps off the very next delivery. The 34-year-old, however, was denied a hat-trick by Alpesh Ramjani, who negotiated an out-swinging yorker.
Southee claimed Uganda’s third wicket fell in the fourth over, as he trapped Ramjani in front of the wickets.
Wickets continued to tumble for Uganda as spinners Mitchell Santner (2/8) and Rachin Ravindra (2/9) and pacer Lockie Ferguson (1/9) joined in the action.
Southee then returned in the 18th over to claim two more wickets, trapping Fred Achelam and Juma Miyagi leg before wicket on consecutive deliveries. But like Boult, he too was denied a hat-trick.
Kenneth Waiswa (11) was the only Ugandan batter to reach a double digit score.