By Alvin Bagaya
Challengers CC 225/10 in 49.1/50 overs (Hamu Kayondo 72(103), Steven Wabwose 61(48), Anushka Perera 2/29 in 10 overs, Juma Miyaji 3/22 in 5.1 overs) beat Ceylon Lions CC 139/10 in 30.4/50 overs (Arnold Otwani 71(78), Amir Hamza 5/45 in 9.4 overs, Gerald Mubiru 3/22 in 9 overs) by 86 runs
Hamu Kayonodo 72(103) has kept his reliable league form intact with another well played half century against Ceylon Lions CC. The right hand opener was driving with ease and finding gaps to rotate strike against pace and spin as he helped Challengers CC recover from a false start.
Arthur Kyobe and Shehzad Kamal both went early bowled by Anushka Perera leaving Challengers 37/2 in 11 overs; Haneef Muhammed 25(45) on the wicket immediately after the powerplay rebuilding with Hamu for a third wicket stand of 63 to carry Challengers past the century mark in the 28th over.
Challengers CC Captain Hamu Kayondo; “I have been working with Coach Jackson in the nets and it is paying off; it was tough but the training has helped. We lost the man on form early (Kyobe) and I knew I had to stick on the wicket.
On the Championship; “If luck goes our way and Damani lose one or two games anything can happen.”
On the umpiring on the day “A few tough umpring decisions today but that always happens in the league.Whoever get the decision in their favour is always happy”
Captain Ssempijja turned to the pace of Miyaji Juma who had Haneef caught at mid-on by Ssebanja trying to pull the ball. Hamu went on to a half ton having been dropped by Narinder Singh on 40 to score 72.
When Hamu fell LBW to Oduch Abraham wicket keeper/batsman Steven Wabwose 61(48) then took charge of the middle session but failed to find any steady partners as wickets kept falling regularly; Juma Miyagi and Anushka Perera keeping the batting side in check.
When Wabwose fell with the total at 209 the Challengers CC tail collapsed quickly with the innings ending on 225.
Challengers CC opened their defense with spin attack on one end and The pace of David Wabwire from the Estates end; the spinners doing most of the damage early on as Amir Hamza kept the batsmen guessing with his skiddy deliveries.
The afternoon however belonged to Shahzad Kamal who took two sharp catches, low to his right off Hamza to dismiss Ssesazi and a sharp lightning fast one handed catch in his left palm stuck; Ceylon Lions 5/32 in 5.3 overs never recovered from the shaky start.
Arnold Otwani was the sole resistance to the run chase going on to his half century with three well played boundaries off David Wabwire in the 21st over; leaning into one through covers to bring up the milestone.
Ceylon Lions Captain Lawrence Ssempijja; “We tried to restrict them to at least 150 but even when they put on 225, we should have been able to get it. We lost early wickets and also got a few tough decisions from the umpires but we have to recollect ourselves and see hoe to win the next three matches”
Ceylon Lions looked like rebuilding their attack but controversially lost Jonathan Ssebanja to an LBW appeal that the umpire declared out after a few seconds of thought.
He consistently attacked David Wabwire and survived some close calls against the left arm spin of Gerald Mubiru putting on for the 32 for the 8th wicket before falling caught and bowled by the left arm spinner in the 28th over.
At this point the match went through the motions before Challengers CC wrapped up the tail