Aziz Damani Select XI 190/10 in 44 overs (Hasahya Emmy 72(129), Davis Karashani 32(40), Cyrus Kibuukamusoke 4/56 in 10 overs, Deus Muhumuza 3/16 in 6.3 Overs) Lost to Tornado Bees Select XI 194/4 in 40 overs (Abdallah Lubega 95*(116), Akbar Baig 68(92), Davis Karashani 2/21 in 10 overs) by six wickets.
Abdallah Lubega probably sent one last reminder to the selectors about his abilities with bat in hand with a 144 run 2nd wicket stand with Baig Akbar in a pre-season game at Lugogo Oval against Aziz Damani C.C. The former KICC player recently moved to Tornado Bees Cricket Club will have given his new employers plenty of comfort ahead of the new season with his smart innings.
Aziz Damani CC opted to bat first and lost Amar Lakhani early to Deus Muhumuza but Hasahya Emmanuel 72(129) who is fast establishing himself as a top order colossus for Aziz Damani steadied the innings with Davis Karashani 32(40) as they put on a second wicket stand of 80 before Karashani became Cyrus Kibuukamusoke’s first victim.
Hashaya was involved in all the significant partnerships for his side putting on 28 for the third wicket with Kenneth Waiswa 13(21) and 44 for the fourth wicket with Steve Tikolo 28(43) before both set batsmen went out in succession leaving Aziz Damani C.C with a rebuilding job to do.
Brian Masaba 18(25) struggled to find partners to get this job done as Deus and Cyrus continued to run through the middle and late order and he fell to Deus as Cyrus picked last recognized all-rounder Issanez Emmanuel to leave Damani at 190 all out in 40 overs.
The chief destroyer was Cyrus picking four wickets that also had the opportunity to bat with Peter Trego in a huge partnership in a T20 game in Rwanda a week ago and carried a lot of the confidence into this game.
Such was the magnitude of Hasahya’s effort that he batted all but 9.3 overs of his team’s total innings scoring 40% of the runs.
The Tornado Bees run chase was about two men, one retired from the national side after serving the nation and the other still trying to break through, either way, both went home happy.
After losing Kebba Nicholas 03(11) early, former Ugandan Captain Akbar Baig 68(92) and Abdallah Lubega 95(116) put on a mammoth second wicket 144 run stand that ate steadily and significantly away at Aziz Damani’s total with ease allowing them to canter home easily.
Abdallah who had the good fortune of being dropped by Brian Masaba while still on naught cashed in on a golden opportunity to dig in and make his mark with the ICC World Cricket League division 3 qualifiers around the corner.
Dropped from the final 20 in camp, he will surely hope that this changes the selector’s minds; but word from the camp is it is not his batting that got him dropped in the first place.
Captain Jeremy Kibuukamusoke will have been very satisfied with his transfer window business from the evidence of Abdallah’s innings and Tornado Bees will be rearing to go at the 2017 Jazz Safari National Men’s cricket League having defeated one of their probable title rivals quite convincingly.
Prepared by:
Alvin Bagaya
UgCricket
