Kenyan legend Steve Tikolo described Uganda as his second home and Lugogo as its backyard on his second coming as Cricket Cranes coach.
Tikolo was in Uganda, Lugogo in particular, for 10 months in 2012/13 as an assistant/batting coach during a fairytale reign that saw Uganda win the T20 African Premier League (APL) in 2012 and also seamlessly sailed through to the World Cricket League (WCL) Division II after dominating proceedings in Bermuda 2013.

The 44-year-old also has fond memories of Lugogo having stroked a superb ton of 149 at the home of cricket in Uganda as Kenya (32 points) batted Uganda (15 points) out of the Intercontinental Cup in 2005 and he meant every bit of the phrase about Lugogo and Uganda. “I am not a stranger in Uganda,” Tikolo spotting a straight face told journalists at a function held to unveil a galaxy of coaches appointed by Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) to spearhead the ambitious Project 2016/17.
“I have been here several times. This is my second home and I will be comfortable. I am excited and anxious in a positive way.”

Challenge ahead
Tikolo also spoke about the challenge ahead. “Our immediate target is to qualify back to Division II. The training is open to all players who believe they have what it takes to play for Uganda. I will also monitor the league and see whoever is performing. Then in July, I will name a provisional squad of 30, he said.
“I am determined to achieve the targets before me and I believe the boys have it in them to bounce back. I am a man of few words and my work will speak for itself.”
Michael Ndiko will serve as Tikolo’s assistant on a one-year renewable contract whereas UCA development manager Henry Okecho takes over the mantle as both U-23 and U-19 national men’s teams head coach. His assistants are Emmanuel Isaneez and Jackson Ogwang.

“The two teams at my disposal are very significant to the future of the game in Uganda. They bring together players that are closely aged and both teams will offer platforms for the players to express themselves before playing for the national team. The U-23s will sort of be like our Uganda A side.”
John Tumusiime and Emmanuel Kamya are in charge of the national U-15 side whereas celebrated Habibu Mugalula is the new tutor of the National U-19 girls’ team in what promises to be both an exciting and crucial period for the game in Uganda.

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Defending champions Tornado Bee find themselves in a spot of bother as the National Men’s Division One 50-Over League approaches the business end. In each of the past three seasons, Tornado Bee have been top of the league standings before emerging champions.

But a fourth straight title now looks unlikely for Tornado Bee. At halfway stage, the champions, with a game in hand, are second on the table with 34 points, eight behind toppers Challengers. Without a league crown to their name, Challengers seem to be the real deal this season. They appear determined to end Tornado Bee’s stranglehold on the title.

As the second round bowled off at the weekend, Challengers engaged a stronger gear, romping to a 104-run victory over 2011 champions Patidar Samaj at the Kyambogo Oval. 
“It was tense,” Challengers skipper Ivan Thawithemwira said after they ably defended 192 runs. “We did not score many runs but we had to defend the small total.” Opting to bat first, one would understand Thawi’s worries after the opening pair of Arthur Kyobe and Mohammed Aneef departed in a space of five balls.

The score board read 15-2 after 3.4 overs. Here, top season buy Hamu Kayondo reconstructed the innings with three boundaries and a six in a 38-ball 27.

“May be we got too excited before batting,” Kayondo stated. “The wicket looked good to play on but it was actually turning.” His 45-run fourth-wicket combo with Thawi (20 off 14) was supported by late solid knocks from Derrick Bakunzi (23 off 35) and Abraham Alema (24 off 58). Spinners Naseer Ahmad (3/12) and Henry Ssenyondo (3/16) crippled Patidar’s batsmen swiftly but only Gurang Patel (28 off 58) battled the wrath. They were eventually bowled out on the penultimate ball of the 33rd over.

Tornado Bee did not face sister side Tornado on Sunday after umpires Grace Mutyagaba and James Bamulese deemed the soggy Lugogo Oval a outfield unplayable. “Sewage flooded on the field,” Tornado Bee skipper Jeremy Kibuukamusoke revealed. Although they have a game in hand, Tornado Bee could plunge into a state of panic with Challengers showing no signs of faltering.

Unblemished record

It is the first time in four seasons that Tornabo Bee are starting the second round off the league summit. They are second behind Challengers but have a game in hand.

Men’s 50-over league 
DIVISION ONE
Challengers 192/10 Patidar 88/10 
(Challengers won by 104 runs)

KICC 120/6 Kutchi Tigers 68/10 
(KICC won by 52 runs)
DIVISION TWO
Premier 103/10 Mwiri 81/10 
(Premier won by 22 runs)
DIVISION THREE
Avengers 198/10 JACC 53/10 
(Avengers won by 145 runs)

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The search for a new gaffer by Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) is as good as over.

Initiated in Nairobi soon after being sacked by Cricket Kenya, brokered in Zimbabwe where he was Team Manager for the Kenya Ladies at the just-concluded ICC Africa Women World T20 Qualifier, legendary Steve Tikolo flies into town today to put pen to paper and take over as Cricket Cranes coach on a one-year renewable contract.

Daily Monitor has learnt that UCA zeroed down on Tikolo after a vetting process that started in April involving a handful of renowned tacticians from India, South Africa, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe among others.

This will not be Tikolo’s first time to tutor Uganda after he sat in the dugout as Martin Suji’s assistant/batting coach when the Cricket Cranes won the Pepsi T20 African Premier League (APL) in 2012 and sailed through seamlessly to earn ICC World Cricket League Division II qualification in Bermuda 2013.

He also steered local franchise Rwenzori Warriors to the defunct East Africa Cricket League title after beating Kenya Kongonis during his tenure. But being head coach this time round, the 44-year-old has his plate full with a bumper schedule awaiting him.

After meeting the UCA Board on Thursday, Tikolo is expected to meet all the players vying for national team slots before embarking on a tedious project of scouting for new talent across the country. He will then select a provisional squad basing on the players’ performances in the league and net sessions he will have conducted in Jinja and Lugogo.

Uganda is eager to rub shoulders with the ‘big boys’ again when the ICC WCL Division III – a tournament UCA has already bid to host, takes center stage in January 2017.

Selected former coaches 
Aug 2014- Jan 2015: Peter Kirsten 
April 2014–Aug 2014: Davis Turinawe
July 2013 – Feb 2014: Johan Rudolph
May 2013 – July 2013: Henry Okecho

Tikolo at a glance

Name: Stephen Ogonji Tikolo (44 years old)
Place: Nairobi, Kenya
Nationality: Kenyan
Nickname: Gunnzie
Batting style: Right-handed
Bowling style: Right-arm off spin
Role: Batting all-rounder
ODI debut: February 18, 1996 vs India
Last ODI: Jan 23, 2014 vs. Netherlands 
Teams coached: Kenya, Kenya U-19, Kenya Women, Uganda, Rwenzori Warriors (Uganda), Southern Rocks (Zimbabwe).

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The start to their Pepsi Girls Twenty20 Schools’ Cricket Week script was so unfamiliar.

A tournament opening 20-run loss to Olila High School sent strong waves down their spines. 
But Jinja Secondary School exuded pure character to recover and bag their record sixth title yesterday.
Following an eight-wicket semifinal victory over holders Kololo - a repeat of last year’s final - Jinja’s momentum saw them beat St James SS by 14 runs in a captivating final at Lugogo Oval.

“Losing to Olila was a wake up call,” winning coach Habibu Mugalula told Daily Monitor. 
The title was Jinja’s fourth title in five years. Yet for Mugalula, he had just beaten his former student Saddam Oyaga to his fifth individual title, making him the tournament’s most successful coach. 
“Look, winning is a bonus to me. I am happy the girls have made it again,” he said after adding to the 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2014 gongs.

“Mugalula is a very experienced coach,” Oyaga offered. “Congratulations to him but to my players most. They have earned us pride by making their first ever final here.”
On a day bossed by heavy rains, littering sawdust allover the field was inevitable. Nonetheless, several St James fielders felt the pinch of the soggy outfield.

They slid in phases as Rita Musamali (34* off 32), Dinah Adong (16 off 18), Kevin Awino (12 off 15) and Stephannie Nampiina (17* off 9) guided Jinja SS to a comfortable 92-2 in 12 overs. By then, Mugalula appeared relaxed. Just as the tourney has panned out, it is tournament MVP Rachael Ntono who stood out most for St. James.

Despite the loss, she wrapped the showpiece with a respectable knock of 61* off 45 balls but it could hardly topple her former school. 
The half-ton was the first in a final of this tourney but individually, lifting St. James this far meant Ntono left her name written allover this edition.

Pepsi Girls Schools Cricket final 
Jinja SS 92/2 St James SS 78/4
(Jinja SS won by 14 runs)
SEMIFINAL RESULTS
St. James 47/1 Olila HS 25/2
Kololo SS 27/4 Jinja SS 28/2

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Some six months ago, Nile were pipped by Tornado Bee to the National Men’s Division One 50-Over League crown.

In the same season, the side had made it to the Sixes Challenge and National Twenty20 League but lost both to KICC and Patidar Samaj respectively.

Basing on that, Nile were on expected to upgrade at all fronts this year. Shockingly, David Musoke and company are now lingering in the relegation.

The 1995 champions slumped to danger zone following a 31-run loss to Kutchi Tigers at the lakeside oval in Entebbe.

“We had most of our players missing on the day due to personal reasons,” offered Nile’s senior player Martin Ondeko. "Our batting was most affected,"

The trio of Micheal Ndiko, Richard Agamire and Simon Ayella were all unavailable. But this has stuck out like a sore thumb for Nile this season.

Last month, Ondeko too missed matches against Tornado and KICC. “Sometimes, such situations are unavoidable in a season,” he said.

Defeat to Tigers was the fourth of the season as Nile dropped to seventh, only better than bottom side Wanderers. Tigers got relief, moving to sixth on 16 points.

Ayella’s absence depleted Nile’s bowling and despite Abubaker Seguya’s 3/9, they could not contain Jitesh Gorasia whose 54-ball 53 comprised four boundaries and a six.

Nanji Pindoria (18 off 29) and Lalji Gondaria (17 off 39) helped Tigers to 118 in 29.2 overs. Chasing the target in 30 overs, Nile were clueless with bat and only Seguya (24 off 35) and Ivan Kakande (21 off 33) made respectable scores.

Elsewhere, shell-shocked is the perfect description of how Kampala Institute of Cricket Clubs’ (KICC) dressing looked like following a five-run loss to 2012 champions Tornado at Lugogo Oval.

NATIONAL MEN’S 50-OVER LEAGUE
WEEKEND RESULTS
DIVISION ONE
Tornado 118/7 KICC 113/9
(Tornado won by five runs)
Kutchi Tigers 118/10 Nile 87/10 
(Kutchi Tigers won by 31 runs)
DIVISION TWO
Charity TF 221/10 Mwiri 111/10 
(Charity won by 110 runs)
SKLPS 142/10 Jinja SS 114/10 
(SKLPS won by 28 runs)

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Things change quickly and that is the nature of Twenty20 cricket. One commanding victory against arch-foes Kenya got Uganda’s camp buzzing again on Sunday. 
The 53-run win was a true testimony of the huge talent in coach Jonathan Ssebanja’s side. 
It got everyone talking and wondering what could have been ‘if’ the earlier games had been played with similar grit and gusto. With everyone thinking Uganda had dropped their shoulders and destined for the wooden spoon at this International Cricket Council (ICC) Africa Women World T20 Qualifier, the omens came good. Captain Barbara Mukankusi won her first toss of the tournament, opted to bat and watched in delight as her openers Mary Nalule (33) and former skipper Naome Kayondo (24) raced to 55 without loss in 10 overs.

Uganda went on to tally the tournament’s second ton of 114, the other being Zimbabwe’s crushing 147 against the Kenyans, and then produced a clinical wicket-to-wicket bowling display to bundle out Kenya for 61.
“There is no team that has better players than mine in this tournament,” a relieved Ssebanja said. “We have been our own problem. The girls feared to express themselves because they fear to fail. In the end, they failed. We were also bowling three extras during our trial matches in Kampala, now we giving away in the excess of 15. Look at our losing margins, we are only hurting ourselves. And I don’t want to give the excuse of jetlag or that one of playing 160 overs in two days.”

And with the rest day yesterday helping the team to dust off the rust at the beautiful Harare Sports Club’s nets, Ssebanja still believes the Lady Cricket Cranes can pull off a shocker and pip Zimbabwe and Kenya on Net Run Rate (NRR), if other results go their way, to the lone slot to the ICC Women World T20 Global Qualifier in West Indies 2018. “We have Tanzania in the morning and Zimbabwe in the afternoon. Tanzania got us on the back foot. We now know them better and we will execute.”
Zimbabwe top the log with 12 points, Kenya are second on six, and Uganda third with three.

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