Uganda daze Kanbis at Hayer Star Field tourney

CEO Crown Paints Kenya Rakesh Rao with Kevin Mutembei player of Nairobi Gymkana Club during the unveiling of the Hayer One Star Field Youth Cricket League at Nairobi Gymkana Club on Monday, August 20, 2018. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Zephania Arinaitwe fell seven short of a double-century, but that was only a minor relief for home team Kanbis as Uganda U19 XI went on two win their opening match of the Hayer Star Field Youth Cricket by a whopping 212 runs yesterday.

Arinaitwe’s career-best 193 was the anchor for Uganda to pile on 296 runs after being given the opportunity to bat first on a placid pitch at Ruaraka Sports Club.

Kanbis did manage only three wickets as the Ugandans completed a free scoring afternoon on day one of the four-day event that has attracted youth from the age of 9-19.

Arinaitwe and Perry Wazombe put on 176 for the first wicket after winning the all-important toss.

The two openers never gave Kanbis bowlers any chance to either change their bowling or fielding plans as they dispatched the balls all over the park.

Arinaitwe hit 12 sixes and 24 boundaries from only 66 balls to take his team the mammoth total.

He fell agonisingly short of 200, though, trying to play a hook off Divyan Halai and lobbing a catch with eight balls to play.

The opening stand, which lasted 12.2 overs was brought to an end by Jignesh Hirani who ended Wazombe’s stay of 57 runs off 28 balls when he had him caught.

The wicket came with a little blessing for the hosts as Uganda were two wickets down the very next ball when Ronald Opio was caught for a golden duck.

Arinaitwe continued his onslaught on Kanbis bowlers in a third wicket stand of 40 runs with Cirus Kakuru on 14 not out.

In reply, Kanbis never got going and lost wickets at regular intervals before folding on 84 runs. Nsubuga Siraj and Trevor Ukenya shared five wickets between them with Olipa Rogers adding on one.

In another match played at the same venue, Keval Bhuva scored 50 as Ruaraka Sports Club beat Nairobi Sikh Union by 75 runs.

Bhuva’s half century steered led his side to 157 before Dipen Vekaria’s 4 for 14 saw Sikh Union folding on 82.

At Nairobi Gymkhana, Mombasa Simba Club also posted a 48 runs win over Star Field Select.

Dev Hirani was the chief architect of Star Field collapse in their chase of 94 with 4 for 26 with Jay Doshi and Kshijit Patel bagging two wickets each.

Star Field inning that made only 46 runs consisted of five ducks with 11 runs as the highest score.

The tournament enters the second day today.