At the start of this year, Tornado were prime favourites and the side was expected to comfortably retain their National Twenty20 League and 50-Over League titles.
But 11 months down the road, the men in maroon colours have lost out on both titles to Wanderers and Tornado B in somewhat luckless fashion.
They may have been better but Tornado were totally unlucky in that Super Over final defeat to Wanderers back in April at Lugogo. It is so sad that tears were even shed in the Tornado dug out moments after.
A fortnight ago, Tornado B took an assailable lead over second-placed Tornado and already confirmed 50-Over League champions.
But Tornado have chance to revenge for the two near misses when they face their sister side in the National 30-Over League final at the university Oval in Kyambogo on Saturday.
Despite having most of the attention on team Uganda away at the ICC Global Twenty20 World Cup Qualifiers, a crowd of die-hards is expected for the highly billed encounter.
“We have endured enough pain this season,” stand-in captain Grace Mutyagaba told Kawowo Sports. “We have a string of quality players but the final results have not come our way,”
Mutyagaba was in charge during Tornado’s only limited-overs’ losses to Tornado B and Wanderers in May and September respectively.
In both defeats, stars in captain Frank Nsubuga, Arthur Kyobe, Richard Okia, Deus Muhumuza and Benjamin Musoke (both May) and Raymond Otim (September) were all on national duty at the ICC World Cricket League Division III ties in Bermuda and the recent South Africa tour.
Yet again, Nsubuga, Kyobe, Okia and Otim are away in Abu Dhabi but Mutyagaba fancies his chances this time round. “We have lost all important games when our senior players are on duty, . That won’t happen again on Saturday, we are going in for a win to wash away this season’s sorrow.”
He will mainly bank on Muhumuza and veteran Musoke against a bowling unit that will miss spinner Roger Mukasa, and pace men Charles Waiswa and Patrick Ochan also away on national duty.
But if Mutyagaba can neutralize the powers of in-form Tornado B batsman Lawrence Ssematimba’s early enough with Salim Afridi, Mohammed Akmal and Assadu Seiga’s deliveries, then Tornado might return home with some silverware.
NATIONAL 30-OVER LEAGUE FINAL AT KYAMBOGO OVAL
Tornado vs. Tornado B – 3PM