Lugogo Cricket Oval, Kampala (Bermuda won toss): Uganda (2pts) beat Bermuda (0) by eight wickets

By their own admission, the lessons from the opening-match drubbing by Kenya were not learnt yesterday, as Bermuda went down to another one-sided defeat at the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League B.

After winning a second successive toss, captain Kamau Leverock had no hesitation in again batting first, but again Bermuda failed miserably in their efforts to post a competitive score.

For a team such as Uganda, who had to be entering the match filled with self-doubt after heavy defeats by Jersey and Hong Kong, a target of 96 would have been manna from heaven.

As it was, they needed only 17.5 overs to secure their first win in this the second stage of Challenge League B and return to the top of the table.

For Bermuda, the road looks to be getting rougher, if present form is anything to go by, as their next two opponents — Hong Kong on Thursday and Jersey on Sunday — have been setting the highest standards in Kampala.

“We’re still not learning from our mistakes, but hopefully we can come back again in a couple of days and do better,” said Leverock in the post-match interview.

However, the captain will require more than hope after some of the dismissals today, when no fewer than five were preventable — Dominic Sabir, at No 8 against Kenya but opening today, fencing at one well outside off stump with no footwork; Dennico Hollis run out with both he and Dalin Richardson at the same end; Richardson himself again caught in the ring to an injudicious hoick; Malachi Jones completely foxed by a slower ball and caught in the ring; Steven Bremar using his pad instead of his bat to be leg-before in a most horrific manner; and Amari Ebbin bowled sweeping off the stumps at a time when consolidation was needed at 79 for seven.

The one batsman who could be said to be unlucky was the captain, who received an absolute peach of a ball from seamer Juma Miyagi, which pitched on centre and leg and left him sharply, taking the edge as it did.

Leverock had looked under control for his 14 from 13 balls, including three fours, but few others apart from Zeko Burgess, whose 13 not out consumed 37 balls, gave the impression they were there for the long haul rather an extended Twenty20 match.

Extras threatened to be the highest score in the Kenya match, but got the nod today with 17, followed by Richardson’s 15.

Riazat Ali Shah, Dinesh Nakrani and Frank Akankwasa each picked up two wickets for Uganda.

When it was their turn to bat, the home side tucked into the Bermuda bowling, with left-hander Simon Ssesazi scoring an unbeaten 50 from 53 balls, with seven fours and two sixes.

There was more bowling success for Jabari Darrell, who had Arnold Otwani well caught at point by Charles Trott for two to give Bermuda brief hope at 11 for one. But that was quickly snatched away by Ssesazi and Ronak Patel, whose cameo innings of 19 helped to add 41 and make the result academic.

Kenneth Waiswa’s 19 not out at No 4 came at better than a run a ball as Bermuda belatedly got wrist spinner Cameron Jeffers — the only change from the Kenya defeat, in place of Najiyah Raynor — into the attack for a solitary over, and seemingly behind in the pecking order to Jones, who has been allowed to reinvent himself as an off spinner.

Leverock collected the other wicket of Patel, caught at cover by Jones off a leading edge.

With the hottest team in Kampala up next, Leverock was asked what he would do to instil some belief into a squad that has several playing at this level for the first time.

“Guys just have to find it within themselves,” he replied. “They need to find their own motivation; I can only do so much. They need to find their own motivation and why they are playing the game, then hopefully they can pump themselves up.”

Highlights