Premier CC 16/10 in 43.2 overs (Calvin Watuwa 45(67), Roger Mukasa 4/24 in 10 overs, Deus Muuhumuza 3/31 in 9.2 overs) lost to Tornado Bee CC 158/1 in 26.2 overs (Roger Mukasa 87*(56), Mitch Horrocks 41*(51), Anzeel Muhammad 1/31 in 8 overs) by 9 wickets.
• Roger Mukasa in fine form with unbeaten knock.
• Youngster Calvin Watuwa (remier CC) and New Signing Mitch Horrocks (Tornado Bee CC) make run filled debuts.
A cold morning and wet outfield at the Lugogo Cricket Oval delayed the toss as Match Referee Patrick Makumbi and Umpires Michael Okoth and James Bamulese completed the pre match inspections. The delay however did not affect total overs available and newly promoted Premier CC captain Utsav Shah won the toss electing to bat.
Off season rust was shaken off in opening bowler John Mpande’s first over as he sent four wides down the leg side with exaggerated inswing on the overcast morning.
Stalin Jaganathan 06 (17) and Rathish Nair 14(29) put on 23 for the first wicket with a cautious display but some extra bounce off the tame wicket from Deus Muhumuza forced Stalin to glove the ball to wicket Keeper Lawrence Ssematimba.
New signing and Under 19 player Ronald Opio 20 (13) then stepped up the scoring rate with four boundaries in his brief stay at the crease with Rajesh Nair but Premier CC middle order never held out to the off spin of Roger Mukasa whose four wickets in his ten over spell pulled back the Premier innings to 107/5 in 24 overs.
Youngster Calvin Watuwa 45(67) who turned out for Jinja S.S last season then showed the potential that Utsav Shah believed in when he signed him with a solid stand in the middle albeit quickly running out of partners, he held out for 26 overs in the middle session scoring the first of his five boundaries on his eleventh ball faced.
His 41 run stand for the 5th wicket with Robinson Turinawe helping Premier past the century mark and setting up a tail end fight back and onwards to 167.
Ugandan skipper Roger Mukasa 87*(56) opened the batting with Baig Akbar 28(36) putting on 77 for the first wicket and was in fine form hitting most of his runs off the middle of the bat. He found gaps with ease and punished lapses in line and length with brute execution.
Roger’s unbeaten knock was punctuated with thirteen boundaries and two sixes as he attacked Ratheesh Nair, and Robinson Turinawe pulling and driving over and through extra cover to anything short or full; taking back to back boundaries in each of their overs. One of his finest displays a cover drive off the left arm spinner for four.
The run chase flew along at over 6 an over when he was joined by Australian signing Mitch Horrocks 41 *(51) who coasted along at almost run a ball, playing deep in his crease to guide the bowlers through backward point and came forward to attack with intent, picking left arm spinner Anzeel Muhammed over deep square leg for six.
Tornado Bee never looked in any trouble as the 91 run second wicket stand of Roger and Mitch took them to victory; save for a chance dropped at long off when Roger had a slight dip in concentration but the 9 wicket victory ensured that they will enter begin the season with an eye on the championship.