Match details

Big picture - A historic first

History beckons when Papua New Guinea take on Uganda in an all-Associate clash in Group C with one of them set for their first win in a T20 World Cup. Both teams know Wednesday's game will be their best shot at collecting two crucial points, having been placed alongside strong teams such as Afghanistan, West Indies and New Zealand in the group.

Form guide

Papua New Guinea LLWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Uganda LWLWW

In the spotlight - Sesse Bau and Roger Mukasa

Team news

PNG (probable XI): 1 Tony Ura, 2 Assad Vala (capt), 3 Lega Siaka, 4 Sese Bau, 5 Hiri Hiri, 6 Charles Amini, 7 Kiplin Doriga (wk), 8 Chad Soper, 9 Alei Nao, 10 Kabua Morea, 11 John Kariko

Uganda went in with an experienced XI and used as many as seven bowlers against Afghanistan. With three spinners and four pace-bowling options, they might stick with the same XI.

Uganda (probable XI): 1 Ronak Patel, 2 Simon Ssesazi (wk), 3 Roger Mukasa, 4 Riazat Ali Shah, 5 Dinesh Nakrani, 6 Alpesh Ramjani, 7 Robinson Obuya, 8 Brian Masaba (capt), 9 Bilal Hassan, 10 Cosmas Kyewuta, 11 Henry Ssenyondo

Pitch and conditions

The average score at Providence in men's T20s since the start of 2023 is 159. Of the nine games played in CPL 2023, only two games witnessed 200-plus scores. The surface has been slow traditionally, so spinners might play a crucial role. There are chances of thunderstorms and showers throughout the day.

Quotes

"The joy of playing the game, which is something I love to see, and giving everything when they go out in the middle, giving everything when we come to practice, it's a part of my game and it's a part of what I like to see in teams that I work with. So, seeing that and seeing the energy they have, I remember the first practice session, the energy in just the warm-ups, I was like, how are we going to practice today? But they love it and the enjoyment of being at the World Cup and representing PNG is huge, so I have enjoyed that."
PNG specialist coach Phil Simmons

"It's a baby of the World Cup to be honest, Uganda. That's just a new country to the international, this is the first experience they are facing under lights also. So now they have experienced that. But this team might take a little time. We have to be really patient with these kind of players because if you remember in 1975, India played their first World Cup and if I'm not wrong, they played all 60 overs for 36 [very few] runs - whole 60 overs. So, India was just new to the World Cup, same with Uganda you never know after 15 - 20 years you find that Uganda is holding the trophy somewhere." Uganda coach Abhay Sharma on the team's lack of experience under lights