Kidega seizes moment to spur Rhinos to Batball X glory

Pre-tournament favourites Central Rhinos had to rally from ignominy of almost missing out on the finals to eventually win the inaugural Batball X Tournament at Lugogo Oval on August 20.

Rated highly before the first ball was bowled because they had at least eight national U-19 stars in their ranks, the Kampala-based Rhinos only crawled into the finals courtesy of Net Run Rate (NRR) and a late show in their last Super Four stage match against Eastern Buffaloes.

Despite cricket being a team sport, Rhinos had their mercurial captain Christopher Kidega to thank for getting out a hopeless situation with the calculus against them to sneak into the final and forthwith humble ‘overriding’ Rwanda Emerging in the final by 35 runs.

Pure talent

But Kidega had to showcase his talent in a 16-ball 32 (2 fours, 3 sixes), playing the aggressor as Anas Baig stroked 67 from 31 to help his team set 130 runs for 3 wickets in the allotted 10 overs before going on to restrict 87 runs for a 43-run victory to avert a NRR –0.50 to ascend it to 1.75 and overtake Nile Leopards (0.58) after the top three teams had finished with four points apiece.

Rwanda Emerging, who tallied the highest score in tourney 132 against the Buffaloes, were already in the final courtesy of an enviable NRR of 2.79. But they met a pumped up Rhinos in the final that set 107 on the back of Kidega’s 23-ball 53 that was littered with two boundaries and five meaty sixes.

Kidega returned to haunt the visiting team with the ball scripting figures of 2 for 5 in 1.3 overs – snaring the final wicket of Blaise Romeo Rindiro as Rwanda got bundled out for 71 with three balls to spare to give the home team a comfortable 35-run win in the final.

Inspiring teens

“It’s all about hard work and believing in yourself. You also have to listen to your coaches,” was Kidega’s piece of advice after he accepted his Man of Match in the final and Player of the Tournament accolades that came with Shs300,000.

The six-team franchise-like tournament also had two other teams; Western Bulls and Northern Elephants and was played under the theme of ‘Tackling Hypertension With Every Hit.’ Batball also had a galaxy of partners including Roke Telkom, Jibu Water, UNICD, Case Hospital, Fitness Junction Gym & Spa, Saphal, Soroti Cricket Academy, Guniaa, NBS Sport, East Enders and St Francis Healthcare Services alongside the game’s mother body Uganda Cricket Association (UCA).

Batball X Tournament

Result - Finals

Central Rhinos 106/4

Rwanda Emerging 71/0

Central Rhinos won by 35 Runs

Result – Third place playoff

Nile Leopards 104/4

Eastern Buffaloes 78/2

Nile Leopards won by 26 Runs

Most Valuable Player

Christopher Kidega of Central Rhinos (174 runs, 5 wickets, 7 catches, 14 sixes) 969 points