Batsmen must be brave, bold - Tikolo

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Cricket. Even if the team fails in its conquest, there is a worthy consolation prize in playing First Class (List A) matches between 2019 and 2021 instead of 36 ODIs - which will be a first.

Uganda has certainly evolved as a cricketing nation. From some of its stars playing in a combined East and Central Africa Cricket Council (ECACC) side at international meets, Uganda has diligently done its voyage that saw them graduate from International Cricket Council (ICC) Affiliate to Associate nation in 1998.
And as Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) celebrate 20 years of Associate Cricket this year, the nation is on the cusp of something great. If the Cricket Cranes qualify among the top at the on-going six-nation ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division III showpiece, then they will have a shot at One Day International (ODI) status.
And even if the team fails in its conquest, there is a worthy consolation prize in playing First Class (List A) matches between 2019 and 2021 instead of 36 ODIs - which will be a first.
But Uganda’s batsmen have blown hot and cold on their recent travels; oscillating between brilliance and bluntness almost in equal measure as evidenced here in Muscat.

Learning to grind
And although Uganda’s batting primarily borders on flamboyance, flair and playing with freedom, coach Steve Tikolo says the national team’s top order batsmen must also learn to grind out innings as per situations require so that they lift the side without necessarily cramping their fearless stroke-making styles.
“The batsmen especially the top order must dig deeper,” Tikolo told SCORE. “In tournaments like this on the type of wickets (slow & seaming early on) we are playing on and the type of balls (Duke) we are using, batsmen must look to ensure the team scores at least 220-240 runs to give us a chance to win the game. There is still more work to be done on the batting.”
Put on the spot on whether captaincy had weighed down on Roger Mukasa hence his lack of runs on the international circuit since taking over last year, Tikolo wrapped his arm around the opening batsman and advised that the onus was on him to get out of the slough.
“I don’t think so. Roger is an experienced player who has been around for sometime. I am sure he doesn’t carry the baggage of captaincy with him when he is batting. He needs to find a way out of the slump that he is in and this usually takes individual effort. The coaches and teammates can give you advice but it takes a personal initiative,” explained the Kenyan tactician.
Mukasa’s struggles have been evident in this tourney with his three innings yielding only 27 runs alongside fellow top-order batsman Hamu Kayondo who was rested for the East African derby after managing just 19 runs in two games.
Many a time, the capitulation of the top order reflects a larger malaise on the whole team but on several occasions the mid-order and tail has wagged to ensure decent totals for the Cricket Cranes, something Tikolo says is a result of the team’s training regime.

Practice structure
“Modern cricket dictates that all 11 squads-men have to bat. We have structured our practice in such a way that everybody has to contribute with the bat. Even our tail-enders are contributing which is a good thing. My desire is to see more of the top order guys putting in the performances. Every time we have had a good start we have posted good scores and that should be our culture. The good scores have been scarce at this tournament because we have lost early wickets,” explained the former Kenya captain.
Here in the Arabian Peninsular, Arnold Otwani showed how menacing Uganda’s top order can be with his brutal off-side play during his two back-to-back half century knocks against Denmark and USA that had him seated second on the top scorers’ chart with 146 runs - one less than Oman’s Jatinder Singh (147) after Day Six of the competition.
Dinesh Nakrani, too, exhibited delightful footwork and clean hitting in his 50 against Kenya, Deus Muhumuza’s calmness has reaped the fruits with risk-free cricket throughout whereas tail-ender Charles Waiswa wowed many with delightful stroke-play against Kenya.
Such performances have offered a ray of hope and continue to prove that the Ugandan side is not short of batsmen with ability. But what Uganda need going forward is greater consistency and application.