Sunday, March 25
ACC vs. SKLPS
10.30am, Jinja SS Oval
Hima Cement-sponsored Africa Cricket Club (ACC) have to quickly forget last season as they open their 2018 campaign against bogey side Shree Kutch Leva Patel Samaj (SKLPS) at Jinja SS Oval on Sunday (March 25).
Last season, ACC missed out on promotion to the top flight on the last day of the season as Jinja SSS ‘chose’ to stay away from the fixture. ACC only needed to win with a bonus point to go above Strikers and a return to the topflight league action that they have missed since 2010 would have been guaranteed.
This was the closest ACC have come to returning to the big time but they must bury the hatchet and look to exorcise the demons that haunted them since 2010.
Fierce competition
The second tier of the Jazz Safari National Cricket League has some of the fiercest competition in the whole league with most teams evenly matched in terms of personnel and all games end up being evenly contested.
Last season both ACC and SKLPS got off of the blocks in super-fast mode with the latter surprising all by sitting atop the log after four games.
But while ACC was able to compete for the title till the last day of the season, SKLPS suffered torrid time in the second stanze as things fell apart for them.
In the new campaign, both Kampala-based sides will be on a neutral ground on an astro-turf pitch that is a haven for batsmen hence precipitating that the winning team’s batsmen will have to grind a lot harder and smarter.
Star players
ACC will be looking to 2017 Best Bowler Emmanuel Odeng to get enough bounce off the wicket and movement in the air to trouble the stylish SKLPS batsmen.
Experienced Amos Kyazze and new recruit John Ilukor, who has joined from Wanderers, will provide the back- up, alongside multi-skilled Yusuf Nanga, captain Richard Lwamafa, Daniel Batuwa and the big=hitting Robert ‘Counsel’ Okot.
Enemies of their own
The Asian-oriented SKLPS side were their own enemies last term as they let early good form go to waste because of indiscipline. They ended up finishing fifth in the seven-team and will now be looking to make amends.
But SKPLS remain no easy push overs as they have very disciplined bowlers backed up by some great fielding. They might struggle for runs but once they show up they always give as much as they can.
Strong on paper
On paper, this looks a relatively simple start for ACC but SKPLS will be intent on gate-crashing the oldest cricket club in Uganda’s party.
If ACC can overcome such tricky opposition early on in the season, it will give them a solid platform to be early season title contenders.
Victory will also help ACC get a fast start against their traditional rivals; Wanderers and Tornado, who are not in action on the first weekend of action.