Cricket: Topflight debutants in fight for approval

Jazz Safari National Men's League

Results

Division one

Aziz Damani 228 Strikers 158

(Damani win by 70 runs)

Premier 167 Tornado Bee 168/1

(Tornado Bee win by 9 wickets)

KICC 89 Challengers 90/5

(Challengers win by 5 wickets)

Division Two

SKLPS 180 Africa 184/9

(SKLPS win by 1 wicket)

Division Three

Soroti Blazers 245/8 JACC 105

(Blazers win by 140 runs)

Can debutants Premier and Strikers make a good case in the top flight of the Jazz Safari National Men's League? 

While it seemed easy pickings for the two sides in second tier last year, they faltered on day one in the top flight as the season got up and running at the weekend.

It is still early days to draw conclusions, but then it will as well be a tough call for the relatively youngster in the two teams that had convincing exploits last season to qualify for the top tier.

In this case, it is now a matter of older seasoned players against young and emerging cricketers hungry for approval.

Their resolve will be tested throughout the campaign, but none the less, their desire to prove themselves among men will inspire them the more. Strikers's pair of Rogers Olipa and Richard Agamire was after all not bad as Damani beat them by 70 runs Sunday at Kyambogo oval.

Agamire claimed 3 wickets despite Damani moving the scoreboard to 228. Rogers Olipa was on the way to a half century before falling 7 runs shot.

At the end of the day, they cannot take a lot of stick for they were facing a rejuvenated defending Champion.

On the other hand Premier lost to yet another giant Tornado Bee in an encounter that saw them score runs until 43.2 overs before they were all out for 167. Calvin Watuwa had a near half ton of 45 from 67 balls with Stalin Jonathan reaching 26 from 17 balls. It took a star man in Roger Mukasa to disrupt Premier; the ever green cricketer claimed 4 wickets and capped his day's performance with an undefeated half century of 87 from 56 balls.

That said there is still more room for the two debutant sides to sharpen their game and perhaps treat the rank and file of the game to a surprise.