There was a feeling of satisfaction and dissatisfaction in both camps after Uganda XI overwhelmed Uganda Select by 120 runs at Kyambogo Oval on Day Two of the Quadrangular Series.

The day offered a reprieve for Davis Karashani’s Uganda XI men who got off the mark in the tournament after going down to Takashinga by three wickets in a low-scoring thriller at Lugogo on Sunday.

And it came at the expense of Brian Masaba’s Uganda Select side, who had a chance to go 2-0 up in the tournament, after a resounding 130-run victory over Kenya XI on Sunday.

Both Ugandan skippers Karashani and Masaba concurred that whereas one of the teams found its groove, the other (Uganda Select) played to a wrong script that left coaches Michael Ndiko and Steve Tikolo with a bitter taste in their mouths.

“The win came a little easy for us,” said Karashani, who scored 9 off 17 as his team set 228/9 and proceeded to bowl out their ‘understudies’ Uganda Select for a fluctuating 108 all out in 31 overs.

“We expected it to be a little tighter because these are guys we train with and know that can play good cricket.

They started well and restricted us but when we got to bowl to them they buckled under pressure.

“But we are delighted with the win. It means we are back in the tournament and must beat Kenya tomorrow (today) as we look forward to the Takashinga game on Thursday.”

Roger Mukasa (60 off 91) and Shahzad Kamal (47 off 69) rode their luck in a game-changing fourth-wicket partnership of 110 runs.

Irfan Afridi (3/31 in 10), Emmanuel Isaneez (2/34) and Trevor Bukenya (2/49) shined with the ball only for their batsmen to play second fiddle in the chase of what seemed as a ‘very gettable score’.

“We didn’t give a good account of ourselves,” concurred Uganda Select skipper Masaba, who was unbeaten on 40 runs as his team suffered defeat.

“The guys were a bit timid and our coach (Ndiko) has had a word with them. If we had played as we did yesterday (Sunday), we would have won.

“But the loss gives us a chance to wake up and came back strong against Takashinga.” Today’s contests will be tournament defining with Kenya, who ran the Zimbabweans close before losing by three wickets yesterday, taking on Uganda XI at Kyambogo.

But the bigger crowd is expected to be in Lugogo, where many faithful will be hoping Masaba and his ‘rookies’ can inflict pain on a unscathed Takashinga.

By INNOCENT NDAWULA & DARREN ALLAN KYEYUNE

Takashinga are not untouchable. The Zimbabweans have chinks in their armour as exposed by the Kenya and Ugandan sides over the past three days in the ongoing Uganda Quadrangular Series.

The latest of their scares was provided by Brian Masaba’s Uganda Select side that bowled them out for 196 runs in 37.4 overs only for them to bounce back with the ball enroute to comfortably emerging victorious by 104 runs.
While reeling at 30 for 4 in 12 overs, Takashinga once again got out of jail thanks to the experience of Zimbabwe internationals Shingirai Winston Masakadza and Tymcen Maruma who were solid in a fourth-wicket tandem partnership of 105 runs that came off at a healthy rate of 6.5 per over.
Masakadza, in particular, was brutal in his knock of 69 off 61 with a flurry of boundaries and four sixes whereas Maruma redefined the phrase ‘controlled aggression’ in his beautiful half-century knock of 52 off 69 balls.
Despite not batting their quota of overs, Takashinga capitalised on that stand to set 196 in 37.4 overs – a total that proved out of reach for the Ugandans (92 all out) at the end of the day.
“They are a good side,” Takashinga coach Eric Chauluka said about coach Michael Ndiko’s troops. “They put us under pressure with the early wickets but paid the price of not grafting singles and instead opting to unwisely go for boundaries.”
Masaba blamed his troops for not coming to the party on a day they should have won. “It is still a learning curve for us,” admitted the bowling all-rounder. “I thought the guys bowled well upfront. But we didn’t bat with heart. We need to show that we can get ourselves out of trouble situations.”

Stay in the picture
Meanwhile, Davis Karashani and his Uganda XI men will take a deserved break today after another clinical show that earned them a 213-run win against Kenya XI at Kyambogo Oval.
The result means Uganda XI have two wins from three games and must beat their ‘nemesis’ Takashinga on Thursday at the same oval. Roger Mukasa fell two runs short of a crafty century at 98 off 77 balls on the last ball of the innings. Prior opener Hamu Kayondo (55 off 66), Shahzad Kamal (37 off 41) and later Lawrence Ssempijja (25*) were among the runs as Uganda sent 267 for 6 in a match that was reduced to 44 overs due to a rain interruption.
Kenya folded meekly for 54 with Aman Ghandi top scoring with 18 off 27 balls thanks to the superb bowling spells of Karashani (3 for 8 in 6 overs), Henry Ssenyondo (3 for 22 in 8) and Charles Waiswa (2 for 7 in 7).

QUADRANGULAR SERIES
Yesterday’s results
Takashinga 196/10 Uganda Select 92/10
Takashinga won by 104 runs
Uganda XI 267/6 Kenya XI 54/10
Uganda XI won by 213 runs
Today: Rest Day
Tomorrow’s fixtures – 10am
Uganda XI vs. Takashinga (Kyambogo)
Uganda Select vs. Kenya XI (Lugogo)

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cricket Cranes mainstays Arthur Kyobe and Frank Nsubuga made hay on their semi-professional stints as they led their Kenyan side Sikh Union to a four-wicket win over Swamibapa in the Harilal Shah Memorial Twenty20 final at the Nairobi Gymkhana Oval on November 12.

Swamibapa captain Lameck Onyango won the toss and his openers Alex Obanda (55 off 47) and Naman Patel (21 off 21) went about their job of building a solid base clinically as they batted first.

But Ugandans, whose Kenyan franchise had endured a lukewarm season, raised the bar to ensure their team had something to cheer about in the season-ender.

First Kyobe, made a difficult running catch from long-on look easy fodder off the bowling of Tarandeep Singh to get rid of Patel with scoreboard reading 43 for 1 after 7.4 overs.

Then Nsubuga helped Abdul Rehman snare his first of the evening with a sharp catch from deep mid-wicket to dismiss the dangerous Nehemiah Ngoche Odhiambo for just four runs at 74 for2 in 10.2 overs.

The Ugandan off-spinner opened the bowling and his figures of 1 for 17 in 4 were a perfect foil for Rehman who destroyed the favourites batting line-up with superb figures of 5 for 21 as Swamibapa fell from 105 for 5 to 121 all out in 19.1 overs.

“Our bowlers didn’t give away too much,” said Kyobe, who shone with a match-winning knock of 31 off 35 balls at No.3 as Sikh Union sailed over the line with nine balls to spare.

“They made sure we would chase a target that was within our reach. We were under no pressure because we needed just six per over. I played at three because they had some left-arm spinners that were troubling our right hand batsmen. It is always good to go across the border and return victorious. It augurs well for our reputation and keeping in mind that we have big tournaments coming up.”

Nadeem Ahmed played anchor role for Kyobe with a 30 as Jadavji Bhimji 2/20 and Saumil Patel 1/21 tried to put the brakes on the chase in vain.

Harilal Shah Memorial T20 Tournament
Results – Final
Swamibapa 121/10 
Sikh Union 122/6 
Sikh Union won by four wickets
Upcoming Tournaments
Nov. 18-25: Takashinga-Kenya Tour Series
Feb – June 2017: ICC WCL Division Three

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Coach Steve Tikolo issued a ‘come convince me’ statement to the national team hopefuls when he named the two sides (Uganda XI and Uganda Select) that will represent the country in the Quadrangular Series that bowl off this weekend.

Uganda is preparing for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Division III World Cricket League (WCL) that will be hosted here and Tikolo showed his desire to ensure every impressive player gets a chance to stake his claim during the build-up series that will be hosted at Lugogo and Kyambogo Oval.

The released squads to be captain by Davis Karashani (Uganda XI) and Brian Masaba (Uganda Select) boast of some exciting talent that had previously not been considered in the provisional 31-man squad.

The notables includes include Challengers all-rounder Daniel Ruyange, Damani’s left-hander Shahzad Kamal, lively paceman Trevor Bukenya, Nile wicket-keeper Ashraf Ssenkubuge plus Charity siblings Simon Ssesaazi and Lawrence Ssempijja.

“This is a clear indicator that I have not closed the door on anyone,” said Tikolo after yesterday’s morning training session in the middle at Lugogo.
“I have been monitoring these players’ performances in the domestic competitions.

And whoever shows that they can deliver, will get his chance. I am looking at the big one – Project 2017.” But there were also some omissions from the squads including contracted Emmanuel Taban and Charity’s Singh brothers Varinder and Narinder.
“Taban has not performed to the standards I expected him as a left-hander and there are also other discipline issues involved.

For Varinder, he has not made himself available as he says he has a back problem whereas Narinder has not been convincing in his role as a batsman. But they must continue to work and improve,” added the 45-year-old Kenyan legend.

Takashinga’s contingent will be captained by international Forseter Mutizwa whereas bowling all-rounder Emmanuel Bundi will lead the Kenya side in the 10-day tournament.

TEAM NEWS
Uganda XI
Davis Karashani (captain), Arthur Kyobe, Hamu Kayondo, Zephaniah Arinaitwe, Roger Mukasa, Shahzad Kamal, Lawrence Ssematimba, Deus Muhumuza, Frank Nsubuga, Charles Waiswa, Jonathan Ssebanja, Henry Ssenyondo, Ashraf Ssenkubuge, Lawrence Ssempijja, Emmanuel Hasahya Officials: Steve Tikolo (coach), Jackson Ogwang (assistant), Andrew Meya (manager).

Uganda Select
Brian Masaba (captain), Arnold Otwani, Abdallah Lubega, Aneef Shah, Ivan Thawithemwira, Daniel Ruyange, Derrick Bakunzi, Irfan Afridi, Fred Achellam, Emmanuel Isaneez, Abraham Oduch, Siraje Nsubuga, Simon Ssesaazi, Trevor Bukenya Officials: Michael Ndiko (coach), Emmanuel Isaneez (assistant), Alvin Bagaya (manager)

Takasahinga XI (Zimbabwe)
Natsai M’Shanwe, Forster Mutizwa, Tinashe Kanhukamwe, Roy Kaia, Tapiwa Mufudza, Charles Kunje, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Tendai Maruma, Innocent Kaia, Wellington Masakadza, Westone Masakadza, Tafadzwa Kamungozi, Tymcen Maruma Officials: Eric Chauluka, Tafadzwa Madoro, Emmanuel Dube, Percival Sizara

Kenya XI
Emmanuel Bundi (captain), Pushpak Keri, Kavi Dosaja, Karan Patel, Peterson Kamau, Martin Mworia, Joseph Owino, Abraham Vadada, Adarsh Sawjani, Thomas K’Ochieng, Raul Seedhar, Aveet Desai, Aman Gandhi, Subham Patel Officials: Jimmy Kamande (coach), David Asiji (manager)

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

After a heated Uspa meeting dominated by deliberations on the upcoming elections, all the sports journalists needed was a welcome distraction from the ‘politics’.

And what better way to have that than acquiring equipment, from Uganda Cricket Association (UCA), to revive the defunct Media Cricket Club (MCC) team of yesteryears.

“We want to maintain the cordial relationship we have kept with journalists over the years,” UCA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Justine Ligyalingyi said at the handover ceremony held at Lugogo Cricket Oval on Monday.

“We shall do whatever we can to revive their passion for the game, including holding the usual UCA Journalists Seminar at the beginning of the year to refresh their knowledge about rules, terminologies and conditions as Uganda prepares to host the ICC Division III World Cricket League (WCL),”

Hosting rights
ICC, during their Board Meeting in South Africa last month, awarded hosting rights of the WCL to Uganda after deeming UCA’s proposal better than Malaysia and Canada, a welcome far-cry from 2014 when they were denied the honour over terrorism fears in East Africa.

The Cricket Cranes are undertaking drills at Fairway Hotel, Lugogo Cricket Ground and Kyambogo Oval under the stewardship of Kenyan coach Steve Tikolo, assistant Michael Ndiko and youthful coach Jackson Ogwang.

Meanwhile, the Uspa executive also used the opportunity to unveil the football jerseys donated by the body’s patron and Minister of Sports Charles Bakkabulindi.

By MAKHTUM MUZIRANSA

The sextet for the 2017 ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division Three is complete after USA and Oman joined the party due in Kampala early next year.

The Americans and Omanis are the final inclusions after the pair took the top two coveted positions at the ICC WCL Division Four tournament, which climaxed at the weekend in Los Angeles.

Oman, led by coach Duleep Mendis, a former Sri Lanka captain, had topped the round-robin group with four wins out of five. They beat Jersey, Bermuda, Denmark and Italy but lost to hosts USA by eight wickets.

Regardless, they topped the pool with eight points, Americans finishing two points behind in second place.

A Pubudu Dassanyanke-tutored USA capitalised on home advantage to beat Oman in the play-off final by 13 runs and win the showpiece at the Severn Field, Leo Magnus Cricket Complex on Saturday. Jersey and Italy were relegated back to the ICC WCL Division Five.

USA and Oman join host nation Uganda, Canada, Malaysia and Singapore for the WCL Division Three showpiece set to be held at Lugogo, Kyambogo and Entebbe Oval at a date yet to be communicated by ICC.

It means all sides except Nepal and Bermuda, which took part in the WCL Division Three edition in Malaysia two years ago, have stagnated here. The new faces are Canada and Bermuda.

The 2011 World Cup finalists Canada have fallen from the WCL Division Two rank while fourth place in USA ensured Bermuda remain the WCL Division Four.

2017 ICC WORLD CRICKET LEAGUE - DIVISION III 
PARTICIPATING NATIONS
Uganda: 5th 2015 ICC WCL Division Two
Canada: 6th 2015 ICC WCL Division Two
Malaysia: 3rd 2014 ICC WCL Division Three
Singapore: 4th 2014 ICC WCL Division Three
USA: 1st 2016 ICC WCL Division Four
Oman: 2nd 2016 ICC WCL Division Four

THE UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS
Nov. 18-27: Takashinga-Kenya Tour Series 
Feb – June 2017: ICC WCL Division III

By DARREN ALLAN KYEYUNE

 If there were any doubts in the beginning, then Season Three should have answered the queries about the Generation Next Youth Challenge project.
Within this two-week edition, GNext ticked several boxes when Lakhani Motor Titans’ player Zephaniah Arinaitwe made it to the Cricket Cranes’ side that is currently in Kenya for the Four-Nation T20 Series starting today. And the climax heading into the weekend gave a glimpse of a showpiece that clearly has a bright future for many youngsters starved of playing time in clubs or the Schools’ Cricket Week. After finishing bottom in the past two editions, Keshwala Knights turned tables to beat the PAK Stallions Spartans by 23 runs at Lugogo on Friday. “We are really delighted,” Knights skipper Frank Akankwasa told Daily Monitor upon lifting the trophy.

Prior, he and his teammates had taken a few photos with Sagar Keshwala, son to the businessman Viram Keshwala.
“After failing in the first two editions, we had to change a few things,” Akankwasa said. “We tried to make sure we smile at the end of it all,” chipped in teammate Emmanuel Hasahya. Vindication for Hasahya’s best batsman gong were the 20 runs off 23 balls that he put up when tournament MVP Akankwasa opted to bat first.

Akankwasa, in at four, was quickly trapped by Simon Okecho in the field off Ronald Lutaaya (1/15). But Knights were guided by Cosmas Kyewuto’s 19-run-a-ball and Davis Acire’s three sixes in a 41-ball 43 to coast to 131-8 in 25 overs.
From there, there was no turning back for the men in orange. 
Akankwasa sliced through Spartans’ top order with 3/15 and a maiden in five overs. Acire’s bowling spell of 4/8 was deadlier as their opponents were bowled out inside 22.5 overs.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Yesterday’s listless display against Qatar ended Uganda’s interest in the ongoing Four-Nations Twenty20 Quadrangular Series.

Uganda went down by six wickets in a low-scoring one-sided affair at Nairobi Jaffrey’s Sports Club in Lavington. Coupled with Monday’s 31-run loss to Saudi Arabia at Nairobi Gymkhana Oval, the Cricket Cranes are out for contention for Friday’s final.

But Steve Tikolo’s charges have a chance of playing ‘Kingmaker’ when they play for pride against Kenya in today’s derby clash at Nairobi Gymkhana Oval. The match will be telecast live by ZUKU TV.

Kenya put on an insipid show as they went down by 39 runs to a fired-up Saudi Arabian-outfit at Gymkhana and now run into wounded Ugandan side eager to get the monkey off their back in the shorter code of the series.

Uganda’s only win in the One Day International (ODI) Series last weekend was against Kenya – a two wicket win last Friday.

And Tikolo believes that result will pump up the Ugandans to complete a rare double of their ‘big brothers.

“We have been losing matches but we are not a bad side,” 
said Tikolo, a man who played in five ICC Cricket World Cups.

“We have just been making small mistakes here and there. But the players are fired up for the Kenya game.”

For Kenya, coach Thomas Odoyo says they have no option but beat Uganda convincingly and keep their hopes of progressing alive. “Our shot selection was poor and we paid the price of complacency,” said Odoyo, without trying to find any excuse for his team that was bowled out for 84 while chasing 124 against Saudi Arabia yesterday.

“We have the experienced players to turn the tide. We shall don the thinking caps and stay on our toes.”
At the Nairobi’s Jaffrey’s Ground, Saudi Arabia will take on Qatar and if the latter win, they could as well be in final with a game to spare depending on what happens at Gymkhana Oval.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Since he took over as coach, Steve Tikolo, hasn’t had an opportunity to test his players in a highly competitive environment. The Four-Nation Quadrangular Series bowling off tomorrow in Nairobi gives a perfect chance. Nairobi tourney chance for Tikolo to bond with Cricket Cranes

Davis Karashani, Lawrence Ssematimba, Frank Nsubuga, Jonathan Ssebanja, Roger Mukasa, Arthur Kyobe, Charles Waiswa and Steve Tikolo are not new names on the international cricket scene.

Karashani is such a darling of many that even when he went into retirement prompted by a knee injury, many in the cricket circles continuously referred to him as skipper. 
The sextet of Ssematimba, Nsubuga, Waiswa, Ssebanja, Mukasa and Kyobe has been in and out of the national set-up, enjoying success and failure in equal measure.

From the days of Tom Tikolo in 2005 to the first stint of his younger sibling Steve as batting coach for the Cricket Cranes in 2011, the Tikolos hold a special place in the hearts of Ugandans; each of them is addressed as coach, irrespective of the dugout they are commanding.

Coach Tikolo and his players have been starved of international action and they feel only victory at the Four-Nation Quadrangular Series bowling off tomorrow in Nairobi will strengthen their bond.

“It is not about me,” Karashani repetitively told journalists at the team’s flag ceremony for the event involving unknown quantities Qatar, Saudi Arabia and host-nation Kenya, when he was bombarded with questions about his return from retirement at Lugogo yesterday.

“These guys (team) want to make up for the past near-misses and this tournament presents them a chance to show what they can do after two years of no action. They are starved and it is understandable that they are pumped up for this tournament.”

Coach Tikolo was speaking about team cohesion, too, ahead of the return to his motherland. “It is a chance for us to work on team camaraderie and composition,” said the 45-year-old Kenyan legend.
“Such build-up tournaments will help us gel.

We are looking to play a couple of more games against Zimbabwe’s Takashinga as we gear up for the Dicvision III ICC World Cricket League early next year.” Uganda opens its campaign against Saudi Arabia in the One-Day International (ODI) Series at Nairobi Gymkhana Oval tomorrow.

UGANDA’S FIXTURES
Four-Nation ODI Series
Sept.20: vs. Saudi Arabia
Sept. 21: vs. Qatar
Sept. 23: vs. Kenya
Sept. 24: Final
Four-Nation T20 Series
Sept. 26: vs. Saudi Arabia
Sept. 27: vs. Qatar
Sept. 28: vs. Kenya

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.