Uganda Cricket Cranes beat Kenya to top ILT20 Continent Cup

Uganda Cricket Cranes beat Kenya by 47 runs at Gahanga International Cricket Stadium on Thursday to finish top of the ILT20 Continent Cup round-robin table and set up a winner-takes-all final against the same opponents tomorrow.

The Cranes posted 197 for seven after being sent in before bowling Kenya out for 150 in 19 overs to claim their seventh victory in eight matches.

Both sides finish on 14 points with seven wins and one defeat but Uganda take first place courtesy of a superior net run rate of +3.5383 against Kenya's +2.6573.

The victory levels the head-to-head record at 1-1 after Kenya won the opening meeting by eight wickets.

Gerald Olipa smashed 95 from 52 balls with six fours and eight sixes at a strike rate of 182.69 to earn his third Player of the Match award of the tournament.

Uganda lost Mirza Anas Baig for five and Robinson Obuya for 16 inside four overs and crawled to 41 for two at the end of the powerplay.

Charles Musemeza steadied with 20 from 17 before Olipa combined with Riazat Ali Shah (32 off 19) and Kenneth Waiswa (17 off 10) to plunder 127 runs in the final 10 overs.

Olipa fell in the 19th over five runs short of what would have been Uganda's second century after Obuya's 118 against Rwanda.

"It gives me confidence going into the other tournaments and shows me that I'm capable of scoring runs for the team," Olipa said.

The 20-year-old added the boys are pumped up for the final and ready to go.

Uganda's bowlers then repeatedly broke Kenya's partnerships to seal a convincing win less than 24 hours before the decider.