Transition test for Cricket Cranes at Gahanga event

Off for duty. The new look Cricket Cranes Select XI that will represent Uganda in Rwanda. PHOTO EDDIE CHICCO

What you need to know:

  • Cricket. The team picked by UCA’s selectors is an interesting mix comprising a shade of the old with a sneak peek into Uganda’s future.

Kampala.

Even if the Lady Cricket Cranes lifted the Africa Twenty20 title back in September, the cricket fraternity is still hesitant about hearing much about the men’s national teams.
There are hearts still broken after failures at the ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division Three and a last-gasp failure at the ICC U-19 Africa World Cup Qualifiers.
However, Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) has already embarked on the rebuilding phase for the senior men’s side.
Yesterday, the body sent a 14-man squad to Rwanda to take part in the Cricket Builds Hope Twenty20 tournament, an event that is part of the country’s celebrations ahead of the official launch of the state-of -the-art Gahanga Cricket Stadium on October 28.
“We chose to take our team to Rwanda as the tournament gives us a chance to start early preparations for the ICC WCL Division Four next year,” revealed UCA CEO Justine Ligyalingi during the team flag-off by National Council of Sports (NCS) officials Patrick Ogwel and David Katende.
A glance at coach Steve Tikolo’s side, that will face three English franchises Surrey, Grannies and Yorkshire Tea in Group B, there are only four survivors including captain Roger Mukasa from the team that got relegated at WCL Division Three back in May.
Instead, the team has five graduates from the Baby Cricket Cranes who missed out on the Youth World Cup back in June. This tournament is a purely transition test for the Cricket Cranes. “It is time to give a chance to the youngsters who have been knocking on the door,” Tikolo’s assistant Jackson Ogwang told Sunday Monitor.
“We’ll try blend the side and how it goes. But the new faces have a chance to show what they can do.”
Uganda starts its campaign at the no-pressure event against Yorkshire Tea at the Kicukiro Oval this afternoon.

TODAY’s FIXTURES
AT GAHANGA
Rwanda vs. Coutts, 9:30am
Eton Ramblers vs. Kenya, 1:30pm
AT KICUKIRO
Surrey vs. Grannies, 9:30am
Yorkshire Tea vs. Uganda, 1:30pm


TODAY - JAZZ SAFARI NATIONAL LEAGUE
DIVISION ONE - 10:30AM
Challengers vs. Charity TF, Lugogo
NATIONAL TWENTY20 LEAGUE
AT ENTEBBE
9:30am: ACC vs. Kutchi Tigers
3pm: Nile vs. KICC
AT BUDO
9:30am: SKLPS vs. Premier
3pm: SKLPS vs. Strikers
AT JINJA
9:30am: Patidar vs. JACC
3pm: Patidar vs. Jinja SS

TEAM UGANDA TO KIGALI

Roger Mukasa (Captain), Kenneth
Waiswa (Vice - captain), Simon
Ssesaazi, Arnold Otwani, Fred
Achelam, Steven Wabwose,
Derrick Bakunzi, Abdallah Lubega,
Rogers Olipa, Brian Masaba, Deusdedit
Muhumuza, Zephaniah Arinaitwe, Bilal
Hassun, Riazat Ali Shah

OFFICIALS: Steve Tikolo (Head
Coach), Michael Ndiko (Team
Manager), Jackson Ogwang
(Assistant Coach), Carl
Raubenheimer (Assistant coach),
Habiba Kulusumu (Physiotherapist),
Hanumant Katkar (Head of
Delegation)