By David Mwesigwa
Story - Allan Ssemakula
Cricket week was always every cricketer’s dream. The qualifiers were quite tense; we could jump into our school shuttle every Wednesday after lunch and Sunday to go for the games. Making it to the final 14 to enter the shuttle was a great achievement itself because if you had spent the whole week training and then didn't make it on the team everyone at school would make fun of you.
My most vivid memory of the qualifiers was a game against Kibuli in Kibuli. I scored my first six outside school in 2006. We won the game by 10 runs it was such a nail-biter. After the game Muhumuza Lennard aka Lennie had a radio at the back of the van and of course places at the back were reserved for the seniors on the team. A Damien Marley song was playing and the whole van swung in unison. We were on cloud nine. To this date, each time that song plays, I remember that day.
About cricket week we were always the under dogs our target was always to reach the super six and see what happens. Big names like Otiti, Sangau, Ahmed, Roger always sent shivers down our spins. They were more exposed and definitely older. *says this with a smirk
My greatest memory of the cricket week was a super 6 game against Aghakhan. The school had Ronald Semanda of course I didn't know him by face. I remember going in to open the batting and when I asked my batting partner and senior Player Lennie who knew Semanda had a directive from the coach not to tell me who Semanda was so he lied to me that he was the guy at fine leg yet he was the one bowling. I faced all his 5 overs easily expecting to deal with him later only to realize after all the 20 overs, that I had already faced the danger man. Had I been told who he was, I am sure he would have bowled me out. I played all the 20 overs scoring 48 runs and that game earned me a call for the Under _15 squad We trained so hard for the games and Coach Benjamin Mukasa impacted a lot in us God bless his soul.
Our main guns with the ball were always Masaba and Magumba surprisingly Masaba is now a leggie and Magumba aka Bonze as we always called him, I last saw him singing a love song in Karaoke he must be considering a music career. We had a fun time at cricket week. The coca colas were worth it, The nightlife in Nankulabye and my mind can never forget Lutalo dancing to Juliana and Sweetkid’s song in a certain pub in Nankulabye and then Kanyerezi Cyrus and Mr Mwebe saga is a story I will tell some other day.
Greatest Sportsman From Ndejje.
This would be a hard one and my picks are with three people. That's to say Magumba Edward, Tushabe Joseph and Kanyerezi Cryrus I would go with Mr. Kanyerezi Cyrus I never saw anyone in Ndejje who sports came so easily to like Cyrus be it Cricket Basketball, Soccer, Chess or academics he could walk into any team effortlessly and shine
He scored runs with ease at any number. I remember a certain cricket week he batted his first time at number 3 against a decent Jinja sss side n easily scored 56 runs he was an envy of every sports person but as it happens to most geniuses he never took any sport serious and didn't play any at a top level so sad but a great fellow n fine gentleman.
Cricket was fun we lived and breathed it.
My Ndejje XI.
1. Muhumuza Lennie
2. Acidri Peter
3. Senyama Michael
4. Ssemakula Allan
5. Maluge Peter
6. Kakuru Daniel
7. Masaba Brian
8. Magumba Edward
9. Buyinza George (RIP)
10. Senyondo Paul
11. Kato Ivan