A showdown is looming as Kenya and Uganda cricketers take to the field to fight for honours in the 50 overs East African tournament that starts at various venues in Nairobi on Saturday.
The contest that is expected to be exhilarating comes one week after the Twenty20 competition won by Kenyan franchise Rising Stars Chui at Simba Union last Sunday.
The coming tournament will be four Kenyan franchises and two from Uganda take on each other over the next four weekends.
The teams that have entered the tournament include Nile knights
Rwenzori all from Uganda.
Hosting teams are I and M Bank Nyatis, Rising Stars Chui, Sameer Simbas and Express Simba.
In today’s matches, Nyatis take on Warriors at Simba Union while Sameer Simbas hosts Knights at Nairobi Jaffery.
Rising Stars Chuis will then meet Warriors tomorrow at Jaffrey with Express Ndovu battling it out with Knights at Simba Union.
After the opening fixtures, it will be the turn of Kenyan teams to battle it next weekend.
Speaking during the Rising Stars Chuis training, Coach Joseph Angara said 50 overs format has its own challenges.
He said that teams that take their chances on the field score more runs on the board will win.
Improved Ugandans
“It’s true the Ugandans have really improved and they have been good sides to play with,” he said.
“But we will have to realise that 50 overs tournament is totally different from T20,” Angara said in Nairobi yesterday.
Rising Stars Chui won the T20 matches after beating defending champions Warriors from Uganda in the final.
Uganda’s second franchise Knights finished third after they beat Kenya’s Express Ndovu in play-off
The two Kenyan sides (Chui) and will be without the Pakistanis who turned out for them.
If the Twenty20 matches were any indication, the 50 overs series is bound to be a contest between Kenya and Uganda franchise.
The teams could set temperatures soaring given that their key players seem to be in good form after last week’s show.
The Ugandan sides showed they have improved and can take Kenyan teams head on.
After the Twenty20 show, Ugandans were convinced that the four Pakistan players played leading role in Chuis victory.
It will be interesting to see how the home boys will perform against Ugandans without the Pakistanis in their squads.
The 50 overs matches are different thing all together and a team that will have good strategies and good technical approach will carry the day.
The top two teams will then make it to the semi-finals.
By OSCAR PILIPILI, The Standard
