Kenya outclass Uganda in derby

Nairobi.

Cricket Cranes coach Steve Tikolo did not beat about the bush in his post-match interview after Uganda succumbed to a huge seven-wicket loss to Kenya in the Four-Nation Twenty20 Quadrangular Series at Nairobi Gymkhana Oval yesterday.

“I am hurting,” the legend said after Kenya’s wicketkeeper Irfan Karim carried his bat for a stroke-filled innings of 70 off 58 with nine boundaries and one six to help the home side get home in quick-time with 25 balls to spare.

Tikolo, though, was not in pain because his brigade had lost to the country of his birth but rather by Ugandan players’ inability to apply themselves.

“We have continuously failed to do some things right in every game. Look at the way our top order batsmen get dismissed and how we run between the wickets. The guys’ match awareness is lacking,” said the 45-year-old tactician.

In a match telecast live by ZUKU TV and fittingly baptised the ‘East African Derby’, there was a fair crowd at the Nairobi Gymkhana Oval mainly of school-going children and youth. And after Kenyan captain Rakep Patel won the toss and elected to have a bowl, Uganda’s opening batsman Hamu Kayondo (11 off 7) got the match off to a flyer with two boundaries and a total of 10 runs in Nehemiah Ngoche Odhiambo (1/37)’s opening over.

But when he got dismissed in comical fashion in the next over- run out by Dhiren Gondaria after a ball he thought he had sent to the ropes was returned quickly to Karim’s gloves as Kayondo swaggered out of his crease, hell broke loose for Uganda.
Youngster Zephaniah Arinaitwe, completed his hattrick of ducks in the T20 series, when he skied to short mid-wicket the first ball he faced – a short ball from Elijah Asoyo Otieno. The Ugandan innings lacked rhythm from then despite late shows from skipper Brian Masaba (36 off 35), Deus Muhumuza (27 off 22) and opener Arthur Kyobe’s run-a-ball 25.

Uganda’s bowling also failed to trouble the hosts in their pursuit of 130 on Gymkhana’s flat deck because the batting had failed to sparkle on the day.
Kenya face Qatar in today’s match, which is literally a semifinal, with the winner taking on Saudi Arabia in Friday’s final.

FOUR-NATION T20 SERIES
Yesterdays’s results
Uganda 129/7 Kenya 133/3
Uganda lost by 7 wickets

Saudi Arabia 175/6 Qatar 139/8
Qatar lost by 36 runs
Today at Nairobi Gymkhana Oval:
Kenya vs. Qatar
LIVE ON ZUKU TV (10am)

Friday: Final