Malaysia Upsets Uganda In WCL 4 Opener

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 (Bernama) – Malaysia got off to a flying start in the ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division 4 by upsetting favourites Uganda by nine runs at the Kinrara Oval, Puchong in Selangor, Sunday. Malaysia, world number 26, who opted for batting after winning the toss, set a huge target for the away team with 208 runs before losing all wickets in 49.3 overs. Former skipper Ahmad Faiz Mohammad Noor hit six fours to score half century (50 runs) while Suhan Alagaratnam hit three fours and two sixes for a total of 61 runs. Later in the second half, Malaysia bowled well to finish off the world number 25 Uganda though the latter put up high pressure by chasing till 199 runs before were all out in 49.1 overs, as bowler Muhamad Syahadat Ramli showed masterclass to bring down four wickets. Meanwhile, Denmark defeated Bermuda by eight wickets at the Royal Selangor Club (RSC) here, while Jersey defeated Vanuatu by seven wickets at the UKM Oval, Bangi. The action in the six nations tournament would continue tomorrow with Malaysia scheduled to play Vanuatu at Kinrara Oval, Denmark to face Jersey at RSC, while Uganda will meet Bermuda at UKM Oval. Only the top two teams in the tournament will progress to the WCL 3 en route to the 2023 World Cup, while the bottom two teams will be demoted to the WCL 5. -- BERNAMA