It’s a three-way battle for the title among Kampala Institute of Cricket Clubs (KICC), Pioneer and Tornado B in the ongoing National Women’s 40-Over Cricket League.

The trio have won their last four matches but with two of the competitors out of action, Pioneer (30 points) could leapfrog KICC (31) and return to top when they face Ndejje-Premier at Lugogo Oval today.

The ladies in pink may be fancied but must display their experience with the bat against Premier’s bowling pair of Esther Nalubowa and Hilda Kabaseke (9 wickets apiece).
“Much as I am ready mentally, I need to improve physically,” said Pioneer’s opener Barbra Mukankusi.

Former Lady Cricket Cranes skipper Mukankusi has so far managed 96 runs from five innings and is hungry for more. “Surely, I need to pile a good total and help my team keep firm in the title race,” noted the 31-year-old mother of two.

With support from her fellow opener Leila Namaganda (43 runs from six innings), Mukankusi also has back up from the pair of Franklyn Najjumba and Carol Namugenyi, who have combined for 222 runs.

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Teenage batsman Simon Ssesaazi scored a century of 128 runs off 115 balls to end his side Charity Trust Fund’s bad run as they beat Kutchi Tigers by 83 runs at Lugogo Oval on Sunday. “This is impressive,” Ssesaazi told Daily Monitor after making his seventh career ton in the National Men’s Division One 50-Over League. “I didn’t expect it,” he noted. “I had a shaky start but eventually got confident and came out on top.” 
The 19-year-old batsman is the youngest to score a ton in the topflight league this year after Roger Mukasa, Arthur Kyobe, Irfan Afridi and Vinod Rabadiya. 
His feat gave Charity, currently seventh (10 points) on the eight-team table, hopes of surviving relegation. 
“This win is our starting point. If we keep on fighting like this, we’ll surely survive,” Ssesaazi, a Senior Six student at Mukono Parents School, said of his team’s second win of the season. Their last victory had come in their season opener against Rounders on May 3. When his brother Lawrence Ssempijja opted to bat first, left-hander Ssesaazi lost his fellow opener Zephania Arinaitwe in the fifth over. But he hit 10 boundaries and seven maximums as he shared a 167-run combo with Edmond Musasira (39 off 75). 
And after Ssempijja’s 34-ball 20, Charity faded fast at the hands of Rabadiya (4/45) and Hiren Varaiya (2/23) to set 249-9. 
Tigers, who suffered their third season defeat, had their innings filled with bursts of adrenaline.
They were 55-5 midway the 16th over courtesy of Simon Ayella (4/45) and when Varaiya (67* off 71) and Rabadiya (49 off 82) steadied the ship, umpire James Bamulese gave the latter out for a controversial lbw dismissal off Arinaitwe. The Indian-born Kenyan would walk off in protest before Arinaitwe quickly put Tigers’ tail-end to its knees for a five-wicket haul.

Weekend results 
DIVISION ONE
Charity TF 249/9 Kutchi Tigers 166/10
(Charity TF won by 83 runs)
DIVISION TWO
Wanderers 328/7 JACC 147/10 [287]
(Wanderers won by 90 runs via D/L)
Aziz Damani 234/10 ACC 235/8 
(ACC won by two wickets)
Premier 168/10 Mwiri 131/10 
(Premier won 37 runs)

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The wait is over for Wanderers in the National Women’s 40-Over League.
Several weeks after enduring a bad run of form, the defending champions thumped visitors Jinja Association of Cricket Clubs (JACC) by 316 runs for their first season win at the University Oval in Kyambogo on Saturday.
The result, also the biggest margin of the season was masterminded by two centuries from Mary Nalule and skipper Janet Mbabazi. The pair respectively blew away JACC’s bowlers with knocks of 121* off 85 balls and 133 off 119 balls.

“I feel so good,”an ecstatic Nalule, a student at Ntinda View College, told Daily Monitor. “It was a good knock. I have less time to train and I didn’t expect.”
Like the 17-year-old, it was also Mbabazi’s maiden ton. “As captain, you have to keep scoring and this is what we wanted to do,” the 20-year-old said. “Unlike the previous matches, I perfected my shots and with this victory, there is no turning back,” the senior six vacationist added.

The youthful pair etched their names onto the list of female centurions in Ugandan cricket like Christine Aryemo (2011), Flavia Laker and Naome Kayondo (2014). Indeed, JACC must have regretted their decision to field first. When Wanderers’ opening pair of Jennifer Nabwana and Esther Ngabire departed for 62 runs, Mbabazi and Nalule shared 19 boundaries as they constructed a 272-run partnership that propelled Wanderers to 346-4 total - the season’s highest batting score. Notwithstanding the showers, JACC’s innings were brief. Mbabazi (4/3) and Nabwana (3/3) returned with meekly figures to bowl out JACC for a paltry 33 runs midway the 16th over.

NATIONAL WOMEN’S 40-OVER LEAGUE
WEEKEND RESULTS
Pioneer 178/6 Jinja SS 71/10
(Pioneer won by 107 runs)
Wanderers 346/4 JACC 30/10
(Wanderers won by 316 runs)

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Any prayers from opponents and neutrals that Tornado B ladies lose their first match in 2015 are not about to be answered.

Devoid of skipper Mackenzie Ayato who lost her mother a week ago, the ladies in green stripe beat Jinja SS by ten wickets at the University Oval in Kyambogo Oval on Saturday.

Tornado B remains unbeaten in four National Women’s 40-Over League matches but the club is even yet to register a single loss overall since winning the Sixes Challenge title on May 9.

“It’s eight matches without defeat and still counting,” Tornado B coach Jackson Ogwang told Daily Monitor. “The girls were ruthless with the ball and my prayer is that we keep this consistency for as long as we can.”

The 2014 Twenty20 Premier League champions Jinja opted to bat first but couldn’t pay back for defeat in this year’s Sixes Challenge final. 
“My girls didn’t show any fighting spirit,” dejected coach Habibu Mugalula said.

“And besides, morale was gone once we lost wickets early.”
First, Racheal Ntono (2/18) and Rashida ‘German Juice’ Kalsum (1/9) struck early to leave Jinja whirling at 37-4 in 12.4 overs.

Only Jinja SS captain Claire Mushakamba managed double figures (12 off 33) as her side crumbled from 50-5 to 62 all out at the mercy of Ritah Nyangendo and Hope Wanichan (3/7 each).

Tornado B’s opening pair Saidat Kemigisha (29* off 29) and Kalsum (27* off 37) played like twins and only need 10.4 overs to seal the job in somewhat incredible manner.
Still on rather low scoring day, Pricco Nakitende was all over Charity Trust Fund’s batters with 4/7 and two maidens in a fine 25-ball spell that helped her side Pioneer win by ten wickets at Lugogo.

To add to Nakitende’s quality, skipper Justine Musubika (2/5) potency sliced through Charity’s batting order as well only to crumble like a pack of cards for meager 31 all out.
Then Pioneer’s Lelia Namaganda (2* off 15) brilliantly rotated the strike for fellow partner Carol Namugenyi (21* off 18) to put her side over the line mid-way the sixth over.

Women’s 40-over league

Charity TF 31/10 Pioneer 32/0
(Pioneer won by ten wickets)
Jinja SS 62/10 Tornado B 63/0
(Tornado B won by ten wickets)

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There was relief at Kyambogo Oval after holders Tornado B and title-hungry Kampala Institute of Cricket Clubs (KICC) returned to winning ways in the National Men’s Division One 50-Over League on Sunday. 
Tornado B defeated youthful side Charity Trust Fund by eight wickets at Kyambogo while the KICC scripted a five-wicket triumph over 2012 winners Tornado at Lugogo. 
For Tornado B, they silenced doubters that thought they were in free-fall mode having lost two of their last five encounters. “We bowled in the right channels and told our batsmen to stand up be counted,” said captain Jeremy Kibuukamusoke. Their last outing was a four-wicket defeat to KICC last month. 
In Lugogo, Irfan Afridi (3/31) and Emmanuel Isaneez (3/21) limited Tornado, dependent on skipper Arthur Ziraba (33 off 51) and Frank Nsubuga (30 off 22) to 146 in 34.3 overs. Then Isaneez (34*), Abdallah Lubega (35 off 58) and John Tumusiime’s (30) put KICC over the line.

In Division Two, Rodney Mugisha’s Mwiri obliterated Patidar Samaj and then two-time topflight champions Africa Cricket Club piled 292 before dismissing student-packed JACC for a paltry 76 at the Jinja SS Oval.

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The race for title already seems to be brewing a photo-finish as the first round of the Women’s League approaches a final bend.
On Saturday, Pioneer Cricket Club became the fourth different side to move to the summit of the eight-team log after they defeated Jinja Association of Cricket Clubs (JACC) in Jinja.

The commanding 177-run win, third in a row after four fixtures meant Pioneer moved from fourth place to dislodge Jinja SS (18 points) via a better Net Run Rate. Prior, moneybags KICC and Tornado B have also hit the pinnacle. 
“We don’t care about the opposition,” Pioneer coach Davis Turinawe told Daily Monitor. “We just want to keep making noise with the bat and ball.”

Nine-man JACC’s opening bowler Nuru Nakaziba (4/24) struck early to leave Pioneer at 24-2 inside 4.4 over.

But former Lady Cricket Cranes skipper Barbara Mukankusi (40 off 45) combined well with Mary Nankinga (53 off 78) for 70-run third-wicket partnership.

Mukankusi was caught behind by Irene Nekesa off Grace Nabaaza (1/36) on the penultimate ball of the 18th over. It mattered less as Nankinga shared another 46-run stand with Carol Namugenyi (24 off 21) before Pioneer set a 200-8 total in 35 overs.

JACC barely posed a threat in the 7.4-over innings as only Nabaaza (13-run-a-ball) got double digits after Namugenyi (4/12 and two maidens) and Franklyn Najjumba (3/10) bowling spells.

NATIONAL WOMEN’S 40-OVER LEAGUE

Pioneer 200/8 JACC 23/8
(Pioneer won by 177 runs)

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Rajesh Bhudia took season best bowling figures of 7-13 to help Kutchi Tigers defeat Challengers by five wickets in a National Men’s Division One 50-Over League clash at Kyambogo Oval on Sunday.

“I feel so happy,” the Indian-born Kenyan said. “It was a very good bowling spell.” After Challengers opted to bat first, Bhudia, signed alongside Vinod Rabadiya and Ramesh Mepani from Kenyan champions Kanbis Sports Club, ensured none of their opponents’ batsmen troubled the scorers.

Kanti Vekaria (1/7) dismissed danger man Arthur Kyobe (5 off 12) in the fifth over and when Nandi Kishore (1/13) bowled Arnold Otwan (32 off 86), Bhudia’s moment came.

In his 10-over spell, the right-arm medium pace bowler claimed four wicket-maidens and another maiden before Challengers’ innings folded at 74 in 34.1 overs. Spinner Henry Ssenyondo (2/18) put up some resistance for the 2014 Twenty20 champions but it mattered less as Rabadiya’s composed 13-ball 26* saw Tigers earn their third win in four outings in 19.2 overs.

NATIONAL MEN’S 50-OVER LEAGUE
DIVISION ONE RESULTS
Challengers 74/10 Kutchi Tigers 77/5
(Tigers won by five wickets)
Tornado vs. Rounders (washed out)
DIVISION TWO
ACC 214/5 KC Budo 117/3 [D/L]
(ACC won by 97 runs)
Mwiri 127/10 Wanderers 121/1 [D/L]
(Wanderers won by nine wickets)
SKLPS 109/10 Jinja SS 110/9
(Jinja SS won by one wicket)

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Cricket. Defending champions Wanderers are winless and destined to find the going tough against the Davis Turinawe-tutored Pioneer Cricket Club.

Aside from experience, the levels of expectation are pretty much similar when Pioneer Cricket Club clashes off with holders Wanderers in the National Women’s 40-Over League at Lugogo Oval today.
“No team in the title race wants to falter at this stage,” Pioneer’s Franklyn Najjumba said. “We want to keep pace with main contenders KICC and Tornado B,”
All-rounder Najjumba struck the season’s highest batting score thus far of 45 off 50 balls as they defeated favorites KICC by 27 runs a fortnight ago.

“That win over KICC propels our title quest,” skipper Justine Musubika said. With Musubika’s undoubted bowling strength and significant contribution from Barbara Mukankusi and Pricco Nakitende, Wanderers are in for a tough test.
“We lost our opener to Tornado B (last weekend) but our fight is not done,” Wanderers captain Janet Mbabazi said.

She, alongside Esther Ngabirye, Mary Nalule, Evelyn Anyipo and Julia Karungi are the survivors from the team that popped champagne last year. “Pioneer may be a more experienced side and albeit that, we also want to show the mark of champions on Saturday (today).” Mbabazi added. Across the Nile River, Jinja SS and Ndejje-Premier will look forward to their first season contest after JACC failed to turn up in both outfits’ opening fixtures.
“We hope to start off well despite losing some key players,” said Jinja SS coach Habibu Mugalula whose hopes lie in skipper Claire Mushakamba and Damalie Busingye.

Mini-Cricket
A vast number of talents at the helm of Ugandan cricket today such as Ham Kayondo, Charles Waiswa and Arthur Kyobe were realised through Mini Cricket Development Program (MCDP). That talent search norm has not stopped. This year, the MCDP is set to attract over 6000 participants in U-11 and U-13 categories at district levels. These will partake in softball activation festivals at primary school level around the country.

“Once youngsters get introduced to the bat and ball early, there is a chance to grow their interest in the game of cricket,” Uganda Cricket Association Development Officer Henry Okecho told Saturday Monitor.

TODAY - WOMEN’s LEAGUE 
At Lugogo Oval
Pioneer vs. Wanderers, 10am
At Jinja Oval
Jinja SS vs. Ndejje-Premier, 10am

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