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Probables  Gear up for Camp

Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) has announced a 28-member Probables squad for a preparatory camp ahead of the T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers in Botswana in September.

Players from Soroti will train under Ivan Kakande via Soroti Cricket Academy, while players from Jinja will practise with the Kampala group under the guidance of UCA development manager Davis Turinawe.

Uganda emerged champions from a similar tournament in 2017 in Namibia and aim to count on that experience to qualify for the global qualifiers for a second time. Eight players who played in 2017 have been included among the Probables.

They include Consy Aweko, Rita Musamali, Stephanie Nampiina, Franklyn (corr) Najjumba, Immaculate Nakisuyi, Racheal (corr) Ntono and former captain Naomi Kayondo.

Meanwhile UCA is seeking applications for the post of women’s head coach. The team earned T20I status in 2018 and have played 19 international matches, winning ten. Uganda hold the record for the highest team total in the format with 314 for 2 against Mali in 2019.

Probables squad: Kevin Awino, Janet Mbabazi, Racheal (corr) Ntono, Rita Musamali, Leona Babirye, Immaculate Nakisuyi, Consy Aweko, Maria Nyenda, Stephanie Nampiina, Naomi Kayondo, Esther Ilukor, Damalie Busingye, Evelyn Anyipo, Eunice Kobusingye, Teddy Ayella, Proscovia Alako, Racheal (corr) Achan, Sarah Waliza, Sarah Akiteng, Mary Akello, Christine Anayo, Franklyn (corr) Najjumba, Irene Alumo, Shakira Sadick, Patricia Malemikia, Phiona (corr) Kulume, Mildred Anyigo and Gloria Obukor.

Cricket women win anti-Covid-19 battle

HURRICANES blitzed Blizzards in the four-match T20-Uganda Women’s Elite League (UWEL) cricket series at Lugogo Oval, Kampala, from December 11-13. Taking advantage of a five-day Covid-19 ‘window’ to stage the competition, Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) Aziz Damani-sponsored Hurricanes ran out 3-1 winners over their beleaguered Challengers opponents, who only on the last day rose to claim their moniker, Blizzards.

Wounded by a 10-wicket defeat on Friday (Dec 11), Blizzards showed more life on Saturday (Dec 12), failing by only eight runs to close down a 66-run target set by Hurricanes; but in the afternoon they again fell apart, losing by eight wickets.

Hurricanes, captained by Immaculate Nakisuyi with in-form batter Racheal (corr) Ntono as her right-hand deputy, showed more organisation and passion than Blizzards, who had national women’s captain and wicketkeeper Kevin Awino at the helm. While with Hurricanes most of the team appeared to have a large part to play, producing several stunning catches, there was a tad of slovenliness among Awino’s crew that cost them dearly. A trophy, and money, presented by UCA chief executive Martin Ondeko, sealed Hurricanes’ superiority in what was a brave attempt – despite or perhaps because of Covid-19 – to bring women’s cricket in Uganda back on track after their record-breaking ‘Best in Africa’ tag achieved in 2017 (‘Daily Monitor’ headline).

Now the Lady Cricket Cranes will be setting their sights further afield; to the Africa Cricket Association (ACA) T20 competition in Botswana next October (2021), to the Commonwealth Games at Birmingham, England, in July 2022 – when women’s T20 cricket will be introduced for the first time – and to the Women’s 50-over World Cup that same year, with the Women’s T20 World Cup the following year (2023).

Awino, still only 24, commented at the end of this successful display of opening the Covid ‘window’: “It’s been a long time. It was tough not playing for eight months, but we’ve come through.” Opposing skipper Immaculate Nakisuyi (Jimmy Benzo) said: “It was a challenging experience for me but I don’t want to be national team captain.” UCA women’s development officer and tournament organiser Franklyn Najjumba, who worked her socks (and silver shoes) off to get the event up and running, concluded: “That was really hard work, but worth every moment.”

Results: 1st T20: Blizzards 39 (Teddy Oyella 4-19), Hurricanes 40/0 (Racheal (corr) Ntono 23 not out). Hurricanes won by 10 wickets.

2nd T20: Hurricanes 65 (Immaculate Nakisuyi 15, Janet Mbabazi 2-7), Blizzards 58/6 (Kevin Awino 12, Immaculate Nakisuyi 2-9). Hurricanes won by seven runs.

3rd T20: Blizzards 52 (Janet Mbabazi 14, Concy Aweko 3-9), Hurricanes 54/2 (Racheal (corr) Ntono 20 not out, Sarah Walaza 2-11). Hurricanes won by eight wickets.

4th T20: Blizzards 60/9 (Teddy Oyella 3-11, Immaculate Nakisuyi 3-14, Patricia Malemikia 2-6), Hurricanes 47 (Franklyn Najjumba 2-3, Esther Kayaga 2-6, Irena Alumo 2-7, Stephanie Nampiina 2-14). Blizzards won by 13 runs.

Blizzards: Leona Babirye, Jeniffer (corr) Nabwana, Janet Mbabazi, Kevin Awino ©, Stephanie Nampiina, Esther Kayaga, Irene Alumo, Franklyn Najjumba, Sarah Walaza, Brenda Nabisalu, Shabeika Nangaga. Hurricanes: Racheal (corr) Ntono, Clare Mushakamba, Shakirah Saddick, Janet Nakirondo, Maria Nyende, Christine Anayo, Immaculate Nakisuyi ©, Evelyn Anyipo, Patricia Malemikia, Concy Aweko, Teddy Oyella.

Prizes were distributed by UCA CEO Martin Ondeko, chairman of selectors Nihal Bibodi and national team coach Laurence Mahatlane.

Prizewinners: 1st & 2nd T20s: Christine Anayo. 3rd T20: Teddy Oyella. 4th T20: Irene Alumo. Best wicketkeeper: Maria Nyende. Best fielder: Immaculate Nakisuyi. Best bowler: Christine Anayo.

Best batter: Racheal (corr) Ntono (avg 24.5). Player of the UWEL series: Christine Anayo.

UWEL runners-up: (Challengers) Blizzards.

Inaugural UWEL champions: (Aziz Damani) Hurricanes.

Uganda's Woman Umpire Sharon Athoula destined for great things

Image Reproduced courtesy Denis Musali  The bowler is Evelyn Anyipo

Uganda Awards

Members of the Uganda Team pose with supporter Colin Macbeth and the Upsa Trophy

First Division Foray for Olila

Olila HS’s first foray into the Uganda women’s cricket first division reaped immediate success with a nine-wicket victory over Pioneer at Kyambogo on Saturday.

Meanwhile on the large ground at Entebbe, using the men’s boundary, Wanderers walloped title holders Tornado Bee by a mighty 100 runs.

Olila made cricket look easy as Pioneer struggled to a less than adequate total of 86 in 45.5 overs; Olila took just 26.1 overs to pass the target with one wicket down, Rwandan Damalie Besigye doing the key damage with 44 not out.

It was captain Janet Mbabazi who set up the Wanderers victory at Entebbe with a classy 86 (Pioneer’s total!) from 84 balls, ably assisted by Consy Aweko (48) as they put on 99 for the fourth wicket.

Rita Nyangendo took 3-24 for Tornado Bee but was essentially outspun by Hope Wanaichan’s 3-34 as Bee tumbled to 148 all out in reply to Wanderers’ 248.

Aweko (2-27) put the screw on Tornado Bee’s batters from the start and, although six made double figures, none could get away, skipper Patricia Munguryek top scoring with 26.

The game’s sole pace bowler Patricia Malemikia took 2-27 for Wanderers in a game in which there were five sharp caught and bowled dismissals and some excellent ground fielding.

Running between the wickets, particularly by Wanderers, was a vast improvement on what had been seen in the Mehta T20 contest earlier in the year, and bodes well for when Uganda step up from their recent continental T20 success to bigger things.

Lady Cricket Cranes Restore Uganda’s Pride

JOHN VIANNEY NSIMBE

Uganda's Daily Monitor Page Showing Uganda national women's team celebrating being picked by
Uganda Sports Press Association
as the best sports team/personality in Uganda for the month of September 2017.

Uganda Crowned African T20 Champions

After  Capturing Africa

Sensational Victory for Uganda

This puts them into the final qualifying round along with Scotland, Netherlands, Bangladesh, Ireland and Papua New Guinea.

It was a sterling achievement as they also beat Kenya (twice), Tanzania and hosts Namibia. They lost by 59 runs to Zimbabwe in the round robin but got their revenge in the final (Zimbabwe 97, Uganda 98/7).

The African winners will join Scotland and Netherlands, Papua New Guinea, Bangladesh and Ireland in the final qualifying tournament for the World Cup that will be held later this year or in early 2018.

What a coincidence!

Just as the pressure group in the Uganda Men’s Amateur Open was about to tee off on Saturday (September 16) at the 18-hole 72-par Kitante Golf Course in Kampala Uganda, Uganda's Lady Cranes were getting set to bowl the first ball of their victory-bringing final against Zimbabwe in the Africa stage of the women’s T20 World Cup 2018 qualifier at the Wanderers ground in Windhoek, Namibia.

The Ugandan ladies won – and Uganda’s Ronald Rugumayo won the golf.

Rugumayo was sinking his winning putt just as the news filtered through that the ladies had won in Namibia!

Coach: Francis Otieno; Manager: Lydia Bakumpe. run out on 21; and fellow opener Agnes Abigaba was bowled for the same score, at 58. The rest of the line-up fell behind on run rate and holed out, giving Jinja a satisfying 23-run victory.

In the final, described by local newspaper Daily Monitor as ‘boring’, Olila’s 110/4 (20 overs) was too tall an order for match-weary Jinja to attempt to equal. They prodded and plodded their way to 51/9 in their 20 overs, giving the impression of having no ambition to reach the target.

For Olila, Kenyan opener Banja (37) and Uganda all-rounder Gertrude Candiru (27) put on 43 for the third wicket; another Kenyan, Sarah Bhakita, smashed 21 not out at the tail end.

Jinja SS turned it into a disappointing final, Musamali (16) being the only batter to get into the groove.

Obukor (3-5) and Bhakita (3-12) put the screw on any progress. Said Olila manager Felix Musana: “They played into our hands.”

He added: “I am so pleased for the effort our girls put in.”

Sugar package

Afterwards there was Mehta Group sugar from Lugazi for all participants, leaving a sweet aftertaste to a well organised and successfully sponsored competition.

Olila, formed in 2014, only emerged from the second division last year; so success at the first attempt in the Mehta T20 Premier League was doubly sweet, for both the team and their young, ebullient coach Ivan Kakande.

Top performance prizes were awarded to Queentor Abel, Janet Mbabazi and Kevin Awino.

Olila HS, from far-flung Soroti, rejoiced in winning the Mehta T20Premier League trophy, while 2015 winners Jinja SS, from across the Nile, had to be satisfied with being runners-up.

Pioneer 60/6 in 18 overs (Queentor Abel 31, Manry Nankinga 17, Gloria Obukor 2-6); Olila HS 62/3 in 11.1 overs (Margaret Banja 22, Rachael Ntono 17, Queentor SAbel 2-12). Olila HS won by seven wickets.

Jinja SS 99/5 in 18 overs (Rita Musamali 31, Kevin Awino 23, Claire Mushakamba 14 not out, Nina Adong 14, Janet Mbabazi 2-16); Wanderers 76/8 in 18 overs (Gloria Adubu 21, Agnes Abigaba 21). Jinja SS won by 23 runs.

Olila HS 110/4 in 20 overs (Margaret Banja 37, Gertrude Candiru 27, Sara Bhakita 21 not out, Joyce Mary Apio 10 not out); Jinja SS 51/9 in 20 overs (Rita Musamali 16, Gloria Obukor 3-5, Sarah Bhakita 3-12). Olila HS won by 59 runs to win the Mehta T20 Premier League trophy.

Article from New Vision

Polls Fever Robs Cricket Girls of Transport

Five Kenyan cricketers, Veronica Abaga, Vanessa Adhiambo, Mary-Belle Ngoche, Mako Hako and Jane Achieng, were unable to play for their respective Ugandan teams at the weekend because they could not get buses out of Nairobi.

All buses were fully booked by last Tuesday because of the Kenya elections this week 9August 8).

Other players affected were Kenya internationals Margaret Banja, Sarah Bhakita and Sylvia Kinyua.

Three players from Nakuru, Ruth Ambiyo, Edith Wanjiru and Esther Wangare, however manage to reach Uganda by luck, able to squeeze on to local transport to the border at Busia, thence by bus to Kampala.

Election fear in Kenya has forced thousands of people to travel upcountry from the major cities and towns to seek comparative safety in the rural areas.

“We were lucky to make it,” said Ambiyo, who with Wanjiru and Wangare took part in a T20 double header for Kampala Institute of Cricket Clubs (KICC) against Wanderers in the Mehta Women’s Premier League at Entebbe on Saturday.

And they said they were going back to Kenya to vote!

Meanwhile, over on the road to Jinja, Olila HS manager Felix Musana’s car broke down with players Gertrude Chandiru, Rachel Ntono and Damalie Besingye aboard. They had to alight with all their kit and take a communal taxi to Jinja.

The breakdown was in the middle of the dense Mabira Forest, where wild people lurk; but the trio got to the Jinja SS ground where they lost one game but won the other, to stay top of the table.

Saturday’s Mehta league cup semi-finals will now be between Olila HS and Pioneer CC at Kyambogo and between Jinja SS and Wanderers at Entebbe. They will be followe in the afternoon by the final, at Kyambogo.

Wanderers: 71/3 - 17 overs (Jennifer Nabwana 20 not out, Consy Aweko 19 not out); KICC 39 all out -13.2 overs (Ruth Ambiyo 17, Franklyn Najjumba 12; Hope Wanaichan 4-3, Janet Mbabazi 3-4). Wanderers, with Hope Wanishan doing a hat-trick, won by 32 runs.

Wanderers 87/7 - 20 overs (Evelyn Anyipo 12 not out, Patricia Malemikia 12, Hope Wanaichan 11, Jennifer Nabwana 11); KICC 74/8 - 20 overs (Franklyn Najjumba 16, Ruth Ambiyo 13, Kevin Apio 13, Janet Mbabazi 3-24). Wanderers, managed by former East and Central Africa 1975 World Cup player Sam Walusimbi, won by 13 runs.

*It’s not only Moeen Ali who can take hat-tricks. That too was the case for young Hope Wanaichan – and she did it all in the same over…