Wanderers VS Avengers
Venue: Jinja Oval
10:30am
Nile VS SKLPS
Venue: Entebbe Oval
10:30am
Tornado VS Partidar
Venue: Budo Oval
10:30am
Wanderers will start their 2018 season on the road in Jinja where they take on newly promoted Avengers. The 2 sides have met before in the t20 league and Wanderers and won on both occasions but this 1st meeting in the 50 over format will be tricky for Wanderers. Wanderers had a bloody start in 2017 losing 4 games on the bounce leaving them stranded in the relegation places in a season they were expected to dominate the second tier of Uganda Cricket.
In a more competitive Div 2 this year Wanderers will want to keep up with the pace setters ACC and Tornado to be in contention for promotion and they will have to win on Sunday in Jinja.
Wanderers Captain Denis Musali has added some steel to his very porous batting line up with the acquisition of Abu Sseguya from Nile and Juma Gabula from Mwiri CC. The 2 will be required to score runs together with stylish Adonia Waibale, Saul Kisikwe and Micheal Nuwagaba if Wanderers is to have fruitful 2018.
The Jinja Oval is familiar to both sides and its pace and bounce gives an edge to whichever side applies itself best. Avengers though recently promoted they are very worthy opponents and Wanderers face an early test to what kind of character they will have this season.
In Entebbe SKLPS will be waiting to see if Nile will show up. Nile was a no show for its 1st game against Wanderers and questions linger about their availability for the 2018 season. Since relegation from Div 1 last year the Nile has lost some of its best players and they need time to find new players. SKLPS lost a nail bitter to ACC in Jinja on the opening weekend of the season and will be hoping they can bounce back against Nile.
In Budo a confident Tornado takes on Partidar, Tornado had an emphatic win against Budo in Jinja last week. Brian Adriko and his young brigade side look determined to exorcise the demons of last season that had them nearly relegated. The addition of all rounder Cosmas Kyewuta is already paying off with his Man of Match performance in the win over Budo. Their opponents on Sunday Partidar are a look like of Premier from last season, the squad that failed to win a single game last season has been replaced by the winners from Premier especially 2017 Div 2 MVP Prakash Shah. He rattled tornado last season picking 7 wickets in a single game with Tornado bowled out for a season low of 24. This is the pick of the games in Div 2 as long as the April can allow for some play to happen.