Cricket. The star-studded KICC dressing room was full of miserable faces after suffering a shock loss with their founder member, Parminder Moni, watching from the Lugogo stands.

Pioneer Cricket Club defeated Kampala Institute of Cricket Clubs (KICC) by 27 runs at Lugogo on Saturday to throw the National Women’s 40-Over League title race wide open. 
“It feels great to take our first league victory against KICC,” soft-spoken Pioneer skipper, Justine Musubika, told Daily Monitor. “Now that we have recovered from that opening defeat to Tornado B, we hope this win propels us further for future matches.” While Musubika could barely control her ecstatic teammates, misery engulfed the star-studded KICC dressing room. 
No one from the KICC camp offered a comment about the game and slowly, players left Lugogo one by one. Knowing the strength of her bowling unit, Musubika (12 off 30) opted to bat first.
Pioneer reeled at 11-2 and later 39-4 at the mercy of bowlers Gertrude Chandiru (2/18) and Gloria Adubu (3/36). However, Franklyn Najjumba struck five boundaries for the season’s highest score of 50-ball 45 and her 60-run sixth-wicket partnership with Carol Namugenyi (36 off 30) helped Pioneer to set 143 in 31.2 overs. The target proved to be unreachable when Najjumba (2/34) bowled and caught Rihanna Muteesi to leave KICC at 23-1 after six overs. 
Five deliveries later, Scovia Akello’s furniture was dismantled by Musubika (1/22) for a golden duck. 
Failure by lower-order array of batters to build on Flavia Laker (29 off 44) and Naomi Kayondo’s (21 off 35) resistance saw KICC’s innings fold at 116-9 in 27.5 overs.

National women’s 40-over league 
WEEKEND RESULTS 
Pioneer 143/10 KICC 116/10
(Pioneer won by 27 runs)
Jinja SS 180/10 Charity TF 90/9
(Jinja SS won by 90 runs)

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KICC defeated Charity Trust Fund by 169 runs to send out a warning statement on their National 40-Over League opener at Lugogo Oval on Saturday. 
Having faltered to deceive at the Sixes Challenge competition nine days ago, KICC’s star-cast turned on their mojo in their only second tournament since club inception in February.
“Many people were disappointed when we failed to win the Sixes’ crown last weekend,” KICC opener Flavia Laker said. “We are pleased with this perfect start and I hope we can build our title credentials on this victory.”

Opting to bat first, an opening 56-run partnership between Laker (35 off 42) and Kevin Apio (19 off 34) ensured KICC were well out of the blocks.
Then, Naome Kayondo made five boundaries in a solid 44-ball 41 knock and Esther Kayaga’s bowling spell (3-38) barely gave a flicker of resistance as KICC were spurred by 51 extras to pile 216 all-out in 36.1 overs. 
Lady Cricket Cranes’ skipper Kayondo was even more elated with her individual score on the day after her 25th birthday. “Actually, I didn’t want to score anything less than the number of years I had made yesterday (Friday),” she said. “So I was not going to let myself score anything below 25 years.”

National Women’s league
Weekend result
KICC 216/10 Charity TF 47/10
(KICC won by 169 runs)
Pioneer 126/10 Tornado B 127/6
(Tornado B won by four wickets).

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A classic century of 103 runs off 49 deliveries from Irfan Afridi gave Kampala Institute of Cricket Clubs (KICC) a 143-run victory over Charity Trust Fund at Lugogo Oval on Sunday.
“I am really happy,” the smiling right-hand batsman told Daily Monitor after his feat capped a perfect return for KICC back to the National Men’s Division One 50-Over League tier since 2003. 
He first played cricket when he came to Kampala for business from home town Karachi, Pakistan two years ago. No wonder Sunday felt so distinct.

“After thorough training in the nets, I just went out there and just hit the ball without fear,” the 29-year-old said while clearing beads of sweat from his face.“And this being my first century, this is a special day.”
Reeling at 78-4 after 19.2 overs, little did youthful Charity fielders know the trouble ahead of them when Afridi walked in at six. He briefly shared the crease with Emmanuel Isaneez (46 off 62) in a 31-run fifth-wicket partnership.

Then, Afridi combined glorious delicacy with sheer power as he bludgeoned two boundaries and 12 maximums in a 98-run combo with Asadu Seiga (59 off 41) and by the time Viraj Patel savoured 4-56, KICC had set a mammoth 323 in 45.1 overs.
For large swathes of the second innings, the absence of Jonathan Ssebanja’s batting maturity was vivid and meant chasing the league’s highest score was going to be tedious for Charity.

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Newly-formed side, Tornado B, produced a master class to beat Jinja SS by four wickets in the final and clinch the inaugural National Women’s Sixes Challenge title at Lugogo on Saturday.
“I do not captain teams that don’t win,” a smiling skipper Mackenzie Ayato boasted upon lifting the trophy. “It’s never easy to win on the first time of asking but we have done it,” she added. 
Having opted for more youth in the transfer market, Tornado B were expected to play second fiddle to star-studded sides KICC and Glo International this season.

However, Tornado B overcame several odds as they only lost one wicket and sealed the season’s tournament opener with a three-match flawless streak. 
“Other teams may have the star players but our talented girls will match them even in subsequent tournaments,” Tornado B coach, Jackson Ogwang, said
Throughout the long-day event, Tornado B relied on tournament MVP Racheal Ntono and Saidat Kemigisha’s bats. The pair combined well in the round-robin phase to chase down targets against Charity Trust Fund and Jinja SS.

In the semifinal, Kemigisha (12* off 7) and Ntono’s (18* off 15) combo again helped Tornado B beat money bags KICC by five wickets to set-up a final against a Claire Mushakamba-led Jinja. “Had some of our key players like turned up, the script would have been different,” KICC’s Scovia Akello said.

INDIVIDUAL HONOURS
Player of Series: Racheal Ntono (Tornado B) - 59 runs in three innings. Best Batter: Claire Mushakamba (Jinja SS) - 52 runs 
Best Bowler: Veronica Nakadama (KICC) - 4 wickets.

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It was a day for bowlers to forget as batsmen ran riot with seven half-centuries and four tons from five fixtures across both tiers of the Men’s National 50-Over League on Sunday. 
First, Roger Mukasa’s century of 137 runs off 72 balls cancelled out Arthur Kyobe’s brilliant 90-ball 124 ton for Division One champions Tornado B to defeat Challengers by six wickets at Lugogo Oval.

The result meant Tornado B ably recovered from their first season defeat while Challengers had begun their quest on the wrong note. 
“As a team, we are glad to have greatly improved after the loss to Tornado,” Mukasa said. “This year’s title race is really open,” he added. The flat Lugogo wicket was ideal for batsmen all day. 
When Tornado B stuck in their opponents, left-hander Kyobe stylishly struck 16 boundaries and six maximums as he shared a 167-run stand with Arnold Otwan (89 off 112) in the opening 26.1 overs. 
Kyobe was caught by Davis Karashani off Nicholas Kebba (1/49).

National 50-over league 
Tornado 100/10 Nile 101/4
(Nile won by six wickets)
Charity TF 206/10 Rounders 202/10
(Charity TF won by four runs)
Challengers 286/10 Tornado B 290/4
(Tornado B won by six wickets)
DIVISION TWO
JACC 332/8 KC Budo 76/10
(JACC won by 256 runs)
Kampala Pirates 224/8 Patidar 226/4
(Patidar won by six wickets).

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 Tornado beat sister side Tornado B by three wickets on Sunday to condemn the defending champions to their first defeat in local limited-overs cricket since 2012. That result, in the season opener, ended Tornado B’s 46-match unbeaten streak in the National Men’s Division One 50-Over League.
“At last, we have broken their flawless run,” Tornado skipper Frank Nsubuga told Daily Monitor with indescribable joy punctuated by hugs and fist-pumps. 
“We came here with hearts of wounded lions,” a jubilant Robin Turinawe said. “Our win will keep the title race wide open.” At the opposite end, Tornado B players were silent in an unfamiliar territory. “We were out-played,” admitted captain Jeremy Kibuukamusoke after they faced reality among one another in the dressing room.
“Out of the 11 players, only three of us put up a fight. This is going to be a long season for us,” Tornado B’s spinner Davis Karashani said.
Karashani’s word was evident as they failed to recover from the breakdown of Nicholas Kebba (27 off 88) and Lawrence Ssematimba’s (44 off 82) 85-run opening combo.

MEN’S 50-OVER LEAGUE

WEEKEND RESULTS
Tornado B 152/10 Tornado 153/7
(Tornado won by three wickets)

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 Patidar Samaj produced a stellar performance to beat Nile by four wickets to clinch their second National Men’s Twenty20 League at Lugogo Oval on Sunday.
“It feels great to be champions again,” Patidar skipper Ankit Patel told Daily Monitor upon lifting their second T20 title since 2011.
The success also ended the club’s four years of hurt encrypted by the departure of Charles Waiswa, Lawrence Ssematimba, Roger Mukasa and Akbar Baig to Tornado B.

“Since that quartet left us, we had forgotten how to win,” admitted tournament MVP Ankit.
“But this feat is what all the lads will try to build on so as to earn promotion back to the topflight limited-overs league next year.”
Just like the Sixes Challenge miss in February, it was another defeat for Nile in the T20 final.
“We have failed to win a final on two occasions. But we’ll work harder to finish in top four of the Division One 50-Over League and possibly win the Champions Trophy,” Nile skipper David Musoke said. After Musoke opted to bat first, Patidar’s Hasmukh Patel (4/21) and Emmanuel Taban (3/22) rubbed salt in Nile’s wounds.

It needed Suleman Sharif (20 off 18) and Kenneth Waiswa (14 off 19) covered up for Nile’s mediocre batting as they went on to set 120 for 9.
“I think we were about 20 runs short of our target. It eventually cost us.” Musoke noted.
Needing six per over to win, Patidar were reeling at 37-2 after five overs by Suleman (3/25) and Nasser Ahmed (2/16) but Ankit restored parity with a 28-ball 24 to clinch victory with five balls to spare.

NATIONAL TWENTY20 LEAGUE
WEEKEND RESULTS
FINAL
Nile 120/9 Patidar 123/6
(Patidar won by four wickets)
SEMI-FINALS
Nile 144/6 Wanderers 31/4 (D/L)
(Nile won by 24 runs after D/L)
Damani 122/7 (47) Patidar 50/1 (D/L)
(Patidar won by nine wickets after D/L)

INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES
MVP: Ankit Patel (Patidar Samaj)
Best batsman: Arthur Kyobe (Challengers)
Best bowler: Mohammed Aneef (Challengers)
Best fielder: Ankit Patel (Patidar Samaj)
Best wicket-keeper: Nirav Patel (Patidar)

CAST OF T20 CHAMPIONS
2014: Challengers
2013: Wanderers
2012: Tornado
2011: Patidar

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 Kololo Secondary School beat defending champions Jinja SS by seven wickets to end the latter’s three-year dominance as they won their maiden Pepsi Girls Schools Cricket Week title at Lugogo Oval on Tuesday.
Having lost out in the previous two finals to the same opposition, the Jackson Ogwang-tutored Kololo paid back the faith in front of a sizable partisan crowd with a scintillating display.
“After losing in the previous two finals, I knew things would be different this year,” ICC Level Two coach Ogwang told Daily Monitor as he held back his emotions. “Whatever you are seeing now is a result of three months of hard work.”

With six new kids on the block including Kalsum Rashidah, Ogwang is keen to watch his girls defend the title next year. “The new faces in our side will even be more experienced next year. And the fact that they can easily access Lugogo, we will be able to fill Patricia Munguryek’s void (senior six finalist) as we seek to defend our title.” he said.
However, Jinja coach Habibu Mugalula opined else. “I wouldn’t say we were beaten. “Our mistakes cost us the trophy. I know we shall be victors again next year,” said Mugalula.
Having defeated a greatly improved Kyebambe Girls’ side in the morning semi-final, Mugalula’s side relied on tournament MVP Damalie Busingye (36* off 51) and Claire Mushakamba (23 off 34) to set 92 for 3 in 20 overs.

The score would have been far from Kololo’s reach but sequential fumbling in the field put paid to Jinja’s chances. As Jinja continued to miss out on taking catches (seven) and run-outs (five), Kololo skipper Saidat Kemigisha, also tournament’s best batter, led by example with a steady knock of 26 off 41 balls. 
And when they needed 15 off 18, Munguryek’s, who was featuring in her last tournament, signed out on a high with a breezy 15-ball 14 including two boundaries that sealed the memorable victory with eight balls to spare.

PEPSI GIRLS CRICKET WEEK 
Results - Finals
Jinja SS 92/3 Kololo SS 93/3

INDIVIDUAL HONOURS
Player of Series: Damalie Busingye (Jinja SS) 153 runs
Best Batter: Saidat Kemigisha (Kololo SS) 217 runs in 7 innings
Best Bowler: Evelyn Anyipo (Olila HS) 14 wickets
Best Fielder: Aisha Kyeru (St. James SS) 9 dismissals
Best Wicket-keeper: Rebecca Mpumwire (Kyebambe) 4 dismissals

SELECTED BEST 16 PLAYERS KOLOLO SS: Saidat Kemigisha, Rashida Kalsum, Jane Francis Baluka, Sadick Shakira, Patricia Munguryek, Patricia Malmekia JINJA SS: Immaculate Nakisuyi, Damalie Busingye, Stephanie Nampiima OLILA HS: Everlyn Anyipo, Joyce Mary Apiyo KILEMBE SS: Julia Kalungi BUSOGA HS: Mary Akwi ST JAMES: Grace Nabasa MASAKA SS: Rachael Ntono KYEBAMBE: Rebecca Mpumwiire Coach: Grace Mutyagaba Team manaGER: Franklyn Najjumba

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