By Faith Munezero
Semi final 1 - K.C Budo Oval (March 24)
Ceylon Lions 159/6 In 20 Overs (Robinson Obuya 86 Off 68, Agaba Eddie 25 Off 18; Nasta Girish 3/20 In 4 Overs, Harsh Panchal 1/21 In 4 Overs) lost to Avengers 162/5 In 18.5 Overs (Kothari Utkarsh 60 Off 52, Calvin Watuwa 24 Off 14; Bowling Ceylon Lions: Jonathan Sebbanja 2/20 In 4 Overs) by 5 wickets.
Man Of Match: Utkarsh Kotharia (60 off 52 balls)
Semi Final 2 - K.C Budo Oval (March 24)
Wanderers 157/4 In 20 Overs (Brian Adriko 72* Off 61; P. Suba Reddy 2/17 In 2 Overs) lost to Aziz Damani Development Team 159/6 In 19 0vers (Ali Hunzai 74 Off 40, Raza Ali 34 Off 24 balls; Nirav Hathi 4/20 In 3 Overs) by 4 wickets.
Man Of Match: Ali Hunzai (74 off 40 balls)
DIVISION III
Game 1 - K.C Budo Oval (March 23)
Aziz Damani Development Team II 159/2 In 19 Overs (Ronald Lutaaya 73 off 39, Anas Baig 45* off 45; Kidega Christopher 1/23 In 3 Overs) beat Strikers 142/7 In 19 Overs (Opuna Gerald 28 Off 42, Victor Aroma 23 Off 14; Tayoleke Brian 2/22 In 4 Overs) by 17 Runs.
Man Of Match: Ronald Lutaaya (73 off 39 balls)
Game 2: K.C Budo Oval (March 23)
Aziz Damani Development Team II 126/9 in 20 overs (Tayoleke Brian 24* off 18, Geoffrey Kakaire 29 Off 33; Adam Kassim 3/10 In 2 Overs, Gerald Opuna 2/16 In 4 Overs) beat Strikers 90/8 In 20 Overs (Ozelle Christopher 26* Off 20; Emmanuel Rothomio 3/5 In 4 Overs) by 36 Runs.
Man Of Match: Geoffrey Kakaire (29 off 33 balls)
The heartbreak was not only across the border in the small Southern Africa nation of Namibia for Ugandans. There was more heartbreak for the Ugandans back at home especially for local Division II outfits Ceylon Lions and Wanderers who were expected to make minced meat of the opposition and storm the season-opening tournament’s finals.
Avengers and Aziz Damani Development Team were the respective victors over the two sides. And with the unpredictability that seems to pepper Twenty20 games, tournament favourites Ceylon Lions lost their first game at a ‘bad’ stage. In the lower echelons of Division III, Aziz Damani Development II once again emerged victorious.
Avengers stun Ceylon Lions
Largely considered the tournament favorites, the Ceylon Lions received their biggest upset of the tournament yet, with Avengers winning the crunching semi-final match. At the King’s College Budo Oval, the Avengers' first victory was during the toss where their opted to field first. Robinson Obuya held his nerve to top score with an unbeaten 86 off 68 balls. The youngster played out 19 overs but his top knock was in vain with the second innings proving difficult for the star-studded side.
Having picked four early wickets, Ceylon Lions were guilty of giving away too many extras in the first 10 overs and by the 13th over, the Avengers had found their rhythm and were keeping up with the required run rate of eight. Jonathan Ssebanja led the bowling attack picking two wickets, while Avengers' Kothari Urtkash top scored with 60 runs off 52 balls to help his team to victory; by five wickets and seven balls to spare as well as the Man of Match gong.
ADDT stops Magic Wand
The youthful Aziz Damani Development Team has always had a knack for coming off as the underdogs but this season they have been anything but it. They did well enough at the group stage to finish at the top to face Wanderers in the semifinals. The latter won the toss and opted to bat first. Patiently putting on 46 runs in 8 overs before the first wicket fell but it was after 13 overs that Mike Nuwagaba and Brian Adriko who top scored with 72 off 60 balls formed a steady partnership piling on 77 runs at the back-end of the innings.
ADDT sprung into action right away, putting on 50 runs in five overs with all 10 wickets still intact. Ali Hunzai's quick 70 off 40 balls propelled his team to 90 runs before he was run out by the Abu Sseguya/Adonia Waibale combo providing a much-needed breakthrough.
It was a hat-trick for Wanderers' Nirav Hathi with two wickets in the 13th over and the other in his next over. The 17th over saw ADDT at 136/5, requiring 22 balls in three overs for victory. But even when they lost another wicket in the next over, that did not hamper their progress as they went on to seal their place in the final with Avengers, in the 19th over to secure a comfortable four-wicket win.
ADDT2 stroll on in Div. III
The Division III saw another of Aziz Damani’s understudy sides - ADDT II face off with the Strikers in a tightly contested match that saw ADDT2 win by 17 runs. Ronald Lutaaya and Anas Baig led the charge to put on 159/2 while the Strikers' chased up until 142 runs - losing seven wickets in the process.
The game continued in the afternoon with ADDT setting and successfully defending 126 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 20 overs. Brian Tayoleke top scored with 24* off 18 balls while Strikers' Adam Kassim starred with 3/10 in 3 overs. But it was ADDT2's Emmanuel Rothimio who had a stellar bowling spell of with 3/5 in 4 overs that helped limit Strikers to a fluctuating 90 runs by the end of the innings.
