Following the end of the regular 50 over league, all Ugandan cricket action this weekend is in the shortest version of the game.
Defending champions Challengers will be in action on Saturday afternoon taking on division III Champions, Kampala Pirates. The expatriates team got the better of favorites Tornado B and will be in confident mood going into this fixture.
Challengers will have to tame the dangerous Joshua Mwanja but in Shahzad Kamal, Irfan Afridi, Arthur Kyobe, Hamu Kayondo, Henry Ssenyondo and captain Ivan Thawithemwira, they should win easily. There will be no rest for Challengers as they will have to take on SKLPS on Sunday afternoon in Lugogo. SKLPS picked up a moral-boosting win against Strikers in Buddo but in Challengers, they will face a very strong batting line up.
Challengers opening batsman Hamu Kayondo is confident they can still go all the way.
I think we can defend our crown, Ivan has taken over the reins as Captain for T20 and we are all rearing to go, we want to try and make up for the 50 over league.
In a split of the captaincy roles, not uncommon in modern cricket, Ivan Thawithemwira takes over the T20 reigns from Henry Ssenyondo for Challengers. Challengers won the title in 2016 with Thawithemwira in charge and it’s never a good idea to change a winning captain.
Ivan Thawithemwira believes the team has moved on from the 50 over season and they are all focused on winning the T20 crown
The 50 over leg is firmly behind us now, and if we have any ambitions to win the T20, we have to bury our ghosts and try and adopt quickly to the new format.
Our plan is to take it one game at a time, we have the same core of players and for us to do well, all players have to contribute at different times. To win such tournament you need the whole team’s effort.
Nile travels to Jinja where they will face 2 indifferent sides, student packed JACC is relatively easy opposition but the schools cricket winners Jinja SS are not easy customers on their own turf. Nile is still hungover on their relegation from Div I and have failed to mount any credible challenge since going down, without Martin Ondenko and David Musoke they might fail to win both games.
Charity drops anchor in Buddo where they will face both ACC and Partidar. Charity early in the season scored a record 538 runs against Partidar and on a small buddo ground you have to fear for Partidar. ACC will give Charity a Challenge and this is one of the games of the weekend. Charity will be without the dangerous Simon Ssesazi who is away with the Uganda Select XI in Rwanda.
Damani will play its 1st T20 game against Avengers without regular captain Brian Masaba and the legend Steve Tikolo who are with the Uganda select team in Rwanda. Avengers play in Div III of the league and Damani should win this one very easily.
Wanderers takes on a wounded Strikers in Entebbe, Strikers were surprisingly beaten by SKLPS in the super over last weekend. They were terribly let down by their batting but their bowling had at least given them a chance in the game against SKLPS. John Tumusiime and his boys will need to do better with the bat and they are still without Rogers Olipa and Derrick Bakunzi who are with the select side in Rwanda.
UCA National T20 League 2017.
Saturday, 28th October 2017
Lugogo Oval
Challengers CC Vs Pirates CC – 3pm
Sunday, 29th October 2017
Lugogo Oval
Patidar CC Vs Kutchi Tigers CC -9:30am
Challengers CC Vs SKLPS CC- 3:00pm
Entebbe Oval
Azizi Damani CC Vs Avengers CC – 9:30am
Wanderers CC Vs Strikers CC – 3:00pm
Budo Oval
Africa CC Vs Charity CC – 9:30am
Patidar CC Vs Charity CC – 3:00pm
Jinja Oval
Nile CC Vs Jinja SS – 9:30am
Nile CC Vs JACC – 3:00pm
