Fourth Heaven for Olila High

GULU. In the sweltering sun of Gulu City where history and heat often collide, it was Soroti Cricket Academy (SCA) that once again radiated brightest.

At the final whistle of the 2025 Sky View Girls’ Schools Cricket Week on May 11 the scoreboard didn’t just show Olila High School’s five-wicket victory over Light Secondary School at Gulu High School Ground. It revealed a dynasty in full bloom.

“We’ve built a system. A philosophy. A winning culture,” said an elated and equally emotional Felix Musana, the SCA chairman, whose vision since 2015 has lifted an entire region into a national cricket powerhouse. “Our girls are no longer just participating. They are rewriting the script.”

The latest chapter was authored by Immaculate Nandera, who was simply unstoppable in the final. Her 7 for 7 in 3.4 overs dismantled Light SS for a paltry 45. With seven wickets falling in a blink, Nandera’s spell will live long in tournament folklore. “I just wanted to bowl straight and hit the stumps,” the Most Valuable Player and Player of the Final said with a shy grin. “But honestly, I didn’t expect all of them to miss.”

If the final was won with the ball, the foundation was laid over months of gritty preparation in Soroti. Musana credits a unique culture that blends school structures with academy intensity. “We don’t just coach cricket. We mentor character. These girls know they carry the pride of an entire region.”

Flawless run

Olila’s perfect 9-0 record was no fluke. In the semifinal, they breezed past Masaka SS by 10 wickets. In the final, after a mini-collapse triggered by Light SS's wily top spinner Sarah Tino (3/7), it was Malisa Ariokot, one of the national team’s youngest stars, who anchored the chase with a calm match-winning 27 not out.

Yet beyond Olila, it was a Soroti sweep. Light SS, another academy-fed school, stunned the field to reach the final. Their spirited two-run semifinal win over Sacred Heart SS was the most dramatic match of the tournament.

“The entire region showed up,” Musana reflected. “The talent is real. Now it’s about systems, not stars. And that’s how dynasties are built.”

Indeed, the numbers back him up. Soroti’s players led in nearly every category—from wickets to fielding dismissals. In an era where traditional cricket strongholds like Kampala and Jinja once ruled supreme, it’s Soroti’s girls now driving the new frontier.

As the dust settles on Gulu’s sunbaked and grass-thin pitches, one thing is clear: this isn’t a golden generation for Soroti. It’s the gold standard – one that the chasing pack will envy and continue to fight to measure up to.

GIRLS SCHOOLS CRICKET WEEK
Results – Final                      

Light SS 45 all out Olila HS 48/5
Olila HS won by 5 wickets

Semifinals

Light SS 47/9 Sacred Heart 45/10
Light SS won by 2 runs

Masaka SS 55/7 Olila HS 56/0
Olila HS won by 10 wickets 

Individual Awards – Sky View Girls Schools Cricket Week 2025

Best Fielder: Sarah Tino (Light SS) – 13 fielding dismissals

Best Wicketkeeper: Clare Ajego (Light SS) – 12 fielding dismissals

Best Bowler: Sarah Tino (Light SS) – 19 wickets for 55 runs in 29.4 overs

Best Batter: Mary Namiiro (Jinja SS) – 197 runs, average 65.66, strike rate 144.85

Most Valuable Player (MVP): Immaculate Nandera (Olila High) – 19 wickets, 44 runs, 3 fielding dismissals, 4 Player of the Match awards, 723 points

NUMBERS 

4: Titles won by Olila High School (2016, 2017, 2019, 2025)

9-0: Olila’s unbeaten record in the 2025 tournament

7/7: Immaculate Nandera’s bowling figures in the final – the best ever in a girls’ final

19: Total wickets taken apiece by both Nandera and Sarah Tino, the tournament’s joint-leading bowlers

2: Number of Soroti schools in the final (Olila HS and Light SS)