USA Women escaped a tense encounter with Uganda A thanks to their spinners turning the tide in a low-scoring chase, headlined by captain Aditi Chudasama's Player of the Match haul of 4 for 12. 

Photo credit: Cricket Uganda YouTube

By Peter Della Penna (Twitter/X @PeterDellaPenna)
 
USA Women have bounced back from their opening day loss at the Easter Cup at Entebbe Oval, scratching out a 20-run win over Uganda A on Friday afternoon. After a 30-minute delayed start due to a wet outfield from morning rain, USA grafted their way to a total of 107 for 7. Uganda’s top order made USA’s bowling unit sweat, staying well ahead of the required rate through the halfway point of the chase. But the wicket of Jimia Muhammed in the 12^th ended Uganda A’s upset hopes as they could only grind out 24 runs off their final nine overs despite starting the sequence at 63 for 1. 
 
USA’s innings was marred by four runouts as their effort to become more aggressive with their running between the wickets backfired 24 hours after a conservative approach to their running cost them in a one-run loss to Uganda. Sainavi Kambalapalli was the first wicket to fall, driving to mid-off for 12 in the fourth over to give Sarah Walaza a wicket. Chetna Reddy Pagydyala then fell for 1 in the fifth when she dragged a half-volley onto her stumps on a false drive against Asumin Akurut to make it 17 for 2. 
 
USA’s string of runouts began in the eighth over when Nikhar Doshi was slow coming back for a second run taking on Walaza’s relay from deep square leg to the keeper Muhammed. Isani Vaghela survived a missed stumping on 13 in the ninth over and went on to top score for USA with 35 before she was run out hesitating for a third run in the 16^th over on a ball sliced over point by Pooja Ganesh, ending a 43-run stand. Gargi Bhogle became the third runout victim when she couldn’t make it back to the striker’s end after trying to tap and run for an attempted two into vacant midwicket that was denied by Walaza fielding off her own bowling with a relay to Muhammad for 5. Ritu Singh was bowled on a failed slog for 1 in the 19^th before Aditi Chudasama became the seventh wicket and final runout for 9 when she was unable to complete a third run driving just short of the extra cover boundary in the final over. 
 
Walaza ended with 1 for 19 in addition to contributing to two runouts while Asumin took 2 for 14 off four overs. 
 
The start of Uganda A’s chase looked innocuous with Hope Mbeiza bowled for a four-ball duck prodding down the wrong line to Chudasama’s offspin. But Muhammad and Asumin teamed for a 63-run stand across the next 10 overs that looked like it would be the source of an embarrassing loss for USA to a second-string outfit. The pair ran sharply between the wickets with numerous tap and run singles as well as pushing hard to turn ones into twos through the outfield. 
 
However, Kambalapalli finally broke the stand with a full delivery that struck Muhammed on the toe and resulted in an lbw appeal upheld for 37 to make it 66 for 2 after 12. Uganda A still only needed 42 off 48 balls, but it soon became apparent that this was well out of the capabilities of the middle and lower order. 
 
Uganda A captain Phiona Kulume was the next wicket to fall for 1 in the 15^th, slog sweeping Singh to Bhogle at deep square leg with a catch taken 10 yards inside the rope to make it 71 for 3. Asumin had looked assured with Muhammed alongside, but struggled to rotate the strike once the opener got out and was stumped for 23 overstretching to Chudasama in the 16^th over to make it 75 for 4. Two balls later, Chudasama had her third when she had Mary Namiiro bowled on a failed slog across the line. 
 
Giringish Nabulime sliced Taranum Chopra’s offspin to Pagydyala at backward point in the 17^th. Uganda A entered the final over needing 22 to win but could manage just two singles as Chudasama rounded off her haul by claiming Lorna Anyait lbw missing a sweep for 7 as Uganda ended on 87 for 7.

Chudasama was named Player of the Match for her 4 for 12. Kambalapalli bowled a very impressive spell that was only lightly rewarded to finish with 1 for 12. Chopra took 1 for 12 off three overs while Singh ended with 1 for 11 off four. The pace duo of Jivana Aras (0 for 17 off three) and Suhani Thadani (0 for 19 off two) went wicketless. 
 
USA Women have an off day on Saturday and return to action on Sunday against Uganda.