Damani, Tornado Bees search for fine starts in Unimoni T20

Aziz Damani’s youthful side will want to continue the celebrations in the Unimoni National T20 Cup. PHOTO BY EDDIE CHICCO

What you need to know:

  • CRICKET. The men in yellow and green stripe wrapped up their 50-over Jazz Safari National Cricket League with a clean slate and will want to give their CEO Siva Koti more with another flawless run in the shorter code.

KAMPALA. Aziz Damani’s easy seven-wicket victory over Tornado Bee at Entebbe mirrored the change of guard between the two as the former celebrated back-to-back titles on the final day of the Jazz Safari National League last Sunday.

Tornado Bee was a complete opposite of their own side that won four straight league titles between 2013 and 2016.
Damani retained the topflight honours with all 14 wins and 82 points yet Tornado Bee survived the knife in sixth with 31 points on the eight-team log. Sheer odd!

Building a legacy
Three-year-old Damani wants to affirm they hold the thunder by adding the Unimoni National Twenty20 Cup gong starting against Avengers at Budo this afternoon.

“Winning may seem difficult but maintaining it is even more complex,” said Damani’s CEO Siva Koti with optimism in Riazat Ali, Saud Islam, Kenneth Waiswa, Emmanuel Isaneez, Brian Masaba, coach Steve Tikolo.

“We don’t want our league success to appear as a fluke. So we desire to beat the challenge again in the T20s,” he added.

Damani’s biggest stumbling block to the T20 has been holders Challengers who beat them by two wickets in the 2016 semis and then by 40 runs in the 2017 final played to January 27. Damani also lost at the semifinal stage to eventual winners Patidar Samaj by nine wickets via Duckworth & Lewis (D/L) Method following a rain interruption on April 14, 2015.

Even if they dominated the league, Tornado Bee as well has never won the T20 Cup with the closest being six-wicket semifinal at Kyambogo to Tornado on April 14, 2013.

Now the hunger for the T20 gong is fueling their winning desire.
“We relaxed a bit in the league (this year) but it was good also for a chance for us to build the team again,” Tornado Bee’s top-order batsman Cyrus Kibuukamusoke said.

Mukasa factor
Tornado Bee will play first against Premier in Budo before heading to Entebbe to face 2011 winners Patidar Samaj in the afternoon.

To put up a better show here, lynch-pin Roger Mukasa ought to be interested in this, Kiwi Samuel Kett must double his digits, captain and Cyrus’ elder brother Jeremy as well as John Mpande should out-muscle work commitments and get more consistent.

Also Australian Mitch Horrocks and David Musoke respectively bring in a great wealth of mental fortitude and motivation.
“We are going for big scores on Sunday (today) to remind everyone of the team we are,” Cyrus added.
Well, time to walk the talk on the oval!

TODAY - UNIMONI NATIONAL T20 CUP
AT LUGOGO OVAL
9:30am: Kutchi Tigers vs. ACC
3pm: Strikers vs. Aziz Damani Dev’t Team
AT KYAMBOGO OVAL
9:30am: SKLPS vs. Aziz Damani Dev’t Team
3pm: SKLPS vs. ACC
AT ENTEBBE OVAL
9:30am: Patidar vs. Wanderers
3pm: Patidar vs. Tornado Bee
AT BUDO OVAL
9:30am: Premier vs. Tornado Bee
3pm: Aziz Damani vs. Avengers
AT JINJA OVAL
10am: KICC vs. Jinja SSS
3pm: KICC vs. JACC