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Soroti City have upper hand in T20 League
The match winners for Soroti. PHOTO/COURTSEY
What you need to know:
The chase for Olila was tension-packed and as wickets tumbled, Baby Victoria Pearls captain Jimia Muhammed (23 off 36) stood firm at one end. She departed at 49 for 5 in 12.3 overs.
No Janet Mbabazi, no problem! That was the mantra as Soroti City played without their skipper on the opening weekend of the National Women’s Twenty20 Cricket League.
Mbabazi is not your everyday average cricketer. The batting all-rounder is not only the vice-captain of national women’s team – Victoria Pearls but she is also the reigning 2022 Nile Special/Uganda Sports Press Association (Uspa) Female Cricketer of the Year.
Uspa justifiably nominated her as the best in the year gone -by because of her heroics that saw her pick Most Valuable Player (MVP) gongs in Windhoek (Capricorn Series) and in Kathmandu (Nepal Series).
Mbabazi quality
She also made the International Cricket Council’s top three list as the best in April 2022 alongside World Cup stars Alyssa Healy of Australia and England’s Nat Sciver.
Mbabazi started the year with aplomb at the Waterfalls Women T20 Elite League where she guided the Sipi Trekkers to victory and her presence could surely have been an added incentive to her local club’s quest to get their national campaign off to a flyer.
But she was restricted to the sidelines on the request from the Victoria Pearls physiotherapist Imam Tugume indicating she had a recuperating shoulder that she had to rest with the national team preparing for the Victoria Series scheduled for April 16-23.
National interests over club affairs, quite an understandable scenario with Uganda lined up to face higher ranked nations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Tanzania as well as arch-foes Kenya and fast-rising Rwanda.
Resolute Soroti City
But there were no issues with young Phiona Kulume taking over the reins and leading with precision as Soroti City picked up a seven-wicket and four-run victories over their friendly foes Olila Cricket Club in two thrilling Twenty20 encounters that lived up to the billing at the Eastern Uganda town’s oval.
The morning fixture saw Olila struggle to get the scoreboard ticking and were at one time reeling at 41 for 7 in 16 overs with the Victoria Pearls quartet; Kulume, Irene Alumo, Evelyne Anyipo and left-arm orthodox Sarah Akiteng running rings around.
It was U-19 starlet Immaculate Nandera that stood up to them with a quickfire 25 off 17 balls comprising three boundaries and one maximum that restored some parity to the innings. Another U-19 star Kevin Amuge added an unbeaten 12 to help Olila CC set 81.
But national wicketkeeper Kevin Awino made light work of the chase with a run-a-ball 34 as Soroti City chased down the score with 29 balls to spare to win by 7 wickets.
The afternoon game was the real clincher with both camps on their toes at the back end of each innings.
Olila CC won the toss and chose to field first a decision they backed with some tight bowling restricting Soroti City to 30/3 in 10 overs thanks to tight economical spells led by Malisa Ariokot 2/5 in 3 overs and Kevin Amuge 1/7 in three overs. The bowling pair of Alumo 19 off 20 balls and Anyipo 20 not out rescued the innings and helped Soroti City post 85 runs.
Olila fall short
The chase for Olila was tension-packed and as wickets tumbled, Baby Victoria Pearls captain Jimia Muhammed (23 off 36) stood firm at one end. She departed at 49 for 5 in 12.3 overs. The platform had been set for Naome Amongin (17 off 23) to seal victory for her side with eight needed from six balls.
But a terrific diving effort in the field by Christine Anayo denied Amongin a boundary that would have notched victory for Olila and it was the Soroti City dugout led by Mbabazi celebrating a nervy but sweet four-run win.
“The celebrations in the Soroti City camp showed what this win means to them. They had not only dented their arch-rivals’ title aspirations but also proved their worth as a team. Sarah Akiteng, was awarded the man of the match award for her economical spell in the morning game and Malisa Ariokot for her brilliant pace bowling and fielding displays,” disclosed Soroti Cricket Academy Felix Musana who believes the partisan fans got value for money and were caught in situations of not knowing who to support as both teams are Soroti franchises.
As Olila look to improve on their next outing against Kampala-based Pioneer, Soroti City are lined up to face legendary Sam Walusimbi’s Wanderers at Jinja Senior Secondary School Oval with an aim of not resting on their laurels.
NATIONAL WOMEN’S T20 LEAGUE
Results – Opening Weekend
Olila CC 81/8 Soroti City CC 84/3
Soroti City won by 7 wickets
Soroti City 85/9 Olila CC 81/10
Soroti City won by 4 runs
