Uganda Select show little heart as Takashinga remain unbeaten

Takashinga celebrate a fall of a wicket yesterday. Photo BY EDDIE CHICCO

What you need to know:

  • Cricket. The Zimbabweans have exposed Kenya and both 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.

KAMPALA. 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)