One-run year resurfaces but with promise for the future

The latter’s loss negatively impacted on the game locally as Uganda Cricket Association (UCA)’s confers remained with abysmal bank balance that meant the game’s growth had been dealt a knockout blow since the UCA Board had lost monies in the regions of Shs835m in terms of funding.

Every question as to why Project A, Structure B and Tournament C didn’t take off then, was philosophically answered by the administrators that ‘we only have one coin and cannot attend to every previously proposed plan’. Hence UCA earning the moniker ‘One Coin Body’, primarily because of the one-run loss to Papua New Guinea then, from all sundry.

And although no one in the fraternity can claim that they’re currently enjoying heady days. The Association has ridden the worst of the storm and there is a semblance of normalcy both financial and administration-wise as the sun sets on 2014.

But everyone’s wish is far away from what happens at the UCA Secretariat in Nakawa. It’s on the ovals where joy unconfined can be derived. Sadly it has come in bits and pieces because both the men and ladies’ team have failed to consistently replicate performances.

Having got the umpteenth opportunity to rub shoulders with their childhood role models at the ICC World Cup Qualifier earlier in January, the Cricket Cranes left New Zealand with their tails between their legs and nothing to show in terms of victory save for a demotion back to Division III.

The margins of defeat in the Bay of Plenty made it impossible for any fan to believe the national side would recover from a horrendous start to what started as a year in which the nation seemed destined to turn the corner, finally.

Chopping and changing
Then an unwritten script was played out.
South African coach Johan Rudolph didn’t show up after his sanctioned leave in the Rainbow Nation was done; youthful Davis Turinawe filled in the role temporarily but fell out of favour even before steering over a single tournament.

And with a month to the hugely-important Division III WCL in Malaysia, former South Africa Test batsman Peter Kirsten took over the reins as both Coach and Technical Director.

With the UCA Board intent on breathing a new life into the national set-up, Davis Karashani was relieved of the captaincy mantle with the most experienced player Frank Nsubuga taking over the reins.

Outcasts Arthur Kyobe, Jonathan Ssebanja and Henry Ssenyondo, previously deemed surplus to requirements for Mission Tauranga, were recalled alongside debutants Naeem Bardai and Suleman Sharif.

The Board went ahead and spoke the language the players like most by staking $20,000 (about Shs52m) as a bonus if qualification to Division II was attained.

And trust the Cricket Cranes to stand up again when the chips are down. Imbued with vim and vigour, the team set about its mission like a house on fire, garnering back-to-back wins including the famous one-run victory over Hong Kong in a tense low-scoring thriller.

There was a blip when Uganda lost to hosts Malaysia by four wickets but Player of the Tournament and four-time Man-of-Match award winner Roger Mukasa (265 runs & 13 wickets) restored normalcy as Uganda finished top of the log with a seven-wicket victory over Bermuda, a day later.

And despite a 62-run defeat in the customary playoff final against Nepal, tournament referee Dev Govindjee deemed it fit to give Mukasa the match award for having battled a bout of malaria to snare six wickets and knock 51 runs.

534 runs
The 25-year-old hard-hitting opener, who scored 534 runs from nine innings as his club Tornado B successfully defended their Division One National 50-Over League title, was fittingly crowned as October’s best by Uganda Sports Press Association (Uspa) and justifiably Male Cricketer of the Year at the UCA Awards Night on November 20.

That night came a little too early for the Lady Cricket Cranes as they still had a flight to take to Benoni for the Africa Women’s Twenty20 Trophy in South Africa.

Nothing to celebrate
Their merry-making was cut short as they miserably failed to make the grade for the 2016 ICC Women’s World T20 Trophy in India. Looking to finish among the top two countries at the continental meet, Uganda could only garner two victories and three loses enroute to a fourth-place finish.

The postmortem Daily Monitor glanced at explains that there was a lot of poor decision making in terms of team selection and tactics chosen on match days.

Only skipper Naomi Kayondo held her bat firm at one end and although there were contributions from Christine Aryemo, Justine Musubika, Gertrude Chandiru and Frankline Najjumba, they were all insufficient to wrestle the initiative in Uganda’s favour. Way out? The Board must seek more playing opportunities for the ladies as well because their game isn’t necessarily in a slough.

And as the year made its final bend, local fans, who were hurting because ICC relinquished rights to host the ICC Division II showpiece and Africa Women’s Trophy from Uganda because of security or lack-of-it and Ebola threats, were hoping to savour some spicy action as the star-studded Takashinga set foot in Uganda.

But it was a lackadaisical attempt by the Ugandan sides as they managed just the odd victory out of five tour matches. Against Zimbabwean Test players Raza Butt, Shingirai Masakadza, Tinashe Panyangara, Regis Chakabva, Tinotenda Kamungozi and Prosper Utseya, the Ugandans looked clueless more often than not.

Captain Nsubuga watered down the less-than-half-decent shifts saying the team had learnt so many things as a unit and would work to improve ahead of the Division II ICC WCL January 17-24 showpiece in Windhoek, Namibia.

It was that sort of year; oscillating between superb and dire with the Cricket Cranes form particularly worrying ahead of the Windhoek trip as they fight to ensure the ‘One Coin’ era is eclipsed for good. The Cricket Cranes remain a bunch of immensely gifted athletes but as hugely unpredictable as what fortune will spring up in 2015.

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