Fresh from hoisting the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Africa Division 2 Qualifier trophy in Kigali, Rwanda, Baby Cricket Cranes prodigy Kenneth Isiiko has wasted no time making headlines back home, turning in a masterclass performance for Jinja Association of Cricket Clubs (JACC) in the ongoing UG20 tournament at the Jinja SSS Cricket Ground.

Isiiko, who contributed crucial runs including a resilient 12 against Sierra Leone during Uganda’s triumphant unbeaten run in Rwanda alongside teammates like Larry Elton Itaagi and Felix Ochan, put on a show of resilience during a dramatic double-header against the Mukono Warriors.

The morning fixture saw the Mukono Warriors extend their formidable form with a clinical 33-run victory over JACC. Batting first, the Warriors carved out 116/9 in their allotted 20 overs, anchored by Musa Majid Ramathan’s top score of 35. 

Isiiko proved to be a thorn in the Warriors’ side with the ball, spearheading the JACC bowling attack with a stellar three-wicket haul. However, the JACC batting lineup faltered in the chase, bundled out for 83 in 16.5 overs despite Aaron Kusasira’s resistance with 18. Robert Ajuna stole the show for the Warriors with an economical and devastating spell of 3/13, earning the morning Player of the Match accolade.

Unfazed by the morning setback, JACC exacted sweet revenge in the afternoon encounter, edging the Warriors by three wickets in a nail-biting finish. Opting to bat first, Mukono Warriors posted a competitive 126/9, driven by Alpesh Mepani (27) and Arjun Keshwala (21), as JACC bowlers Sowobi Yunus, Oyaga Sadam, and Shabir Ullah shared the spoils with two wickets apiece.

What followed was the Isiiko show. Chasing 127, the young sensation anchored the innings with a magnificent, match-winning 43, ably supported by an unbeaten 31 from Yunus as JACC crossed the line at 129/7 with just two balls to spare.

Even though Ankur Thakur fought valiantly for Mukono Warriors with three wickets, Isiiko’s brilliance with the bat carried JACC across the finish line, rightfully earning him the afternoon Player of the Match honours and cementing his status as one of Ugandan cricket’s brightest rising talents.

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Lawrence Ssempijja still has the luxury Steven Tikolo no longer enjoys: the chance to lace up, walk onto the field and influence a cricket match.

A few days ago in Rwanda, Cricket Cranes coach Tikolo organised Uganda beat Sierra Leone in the morning by 114 runs at the ILT20 Continent Cup before his native Kenya faced Rwanda in the afternoon. 

Having retired from playing, he could only watch as his former side took the field with the will to play. At the Florida Oval, Ssempijja was still in the thick of the action.

The Tornado Cricket Club all-rounder starred in the morning before Soroti City CC hit back in the afternoon, leaving the two sides locked at 1-1 after a demanding Group A double-header in the 2026 Men’s UG20.

“The weather was good for cricket, no rain; we had the sun the whole day, so we managed to play cricket the whole day and played some good cricket,” Ssempijja said.

“We managed to at least scoop one out of two, so we went 1-1, which is good for us, so we will be able to fight the next coming matches.”

Ssempijja was the difference in the morning, winning Player of the Match after an unbeaten 32 off 18 balls.

He then switched roles with the ball, claiming three wickets for 21 runs in four overs as Tornado defended 131 for five to beat Soroti City by 12 runs.

Soroti City managed 119 for eight in 20 overs, but the visitors returned with a response in the afternoon, winning by 60 runs to ensure the day ended all square.

For Ssempijja, the split was a fair reflection of a competitive day.

“It was a tough competition,” he said, but insisted Tornado had enough to build on heading into the next matches.

The 2026 Cricket Uganda National 50 Over League season has already shown his value to Tornado. He smashed 80 off 70 balls against Mukono Development on March 15, scored an unbeaten 27 off 43 against Jinja SS CC on April 12 and made 21 off 34 against Centurion CC on March 22.

The right-handed batter and right-arm medium-fast bowler has also remained active away from the crease, helping develop Uganda’s next generation through Cricket Uganda’s regional programmes.

He regularly conducts coaching clinics in Masaka, including at Buddu Mixed Secondary School and Masaka SSS, and has previously served as acting assistant coach of the Victoria Pearls.

But at Florida Oval, there was no clipboard or coaching manual. Ssempijja was simply a cricketer doing what cricketers do: batting, bowling and competing. And unlike Tikolo, he still gets to feel the game from inside the boundary.

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Kenneth Waiswa returned to the runs, but Kenya made sure his 20-ball blitz counted for little as they ended Uganda’s unbeaten start to the ILT20 Continent Cup with an eight-wicket win at Gahanga Cricket Stadium Oval B yesterday.

Waiswa smashed 37 off 20 balls to give Uganda late momentum after a testing afternoon with the bat. But the all-rounder reckons the Cricket Cranes left too much on the table.

“For me, I’m happy to be back in the runs. It’s something I’ve been working hard for, but I know it will come,” Waiswa said.

Uganda posted 189 for six after being asked to bat, with Gerald Olipa making 53, Riazat Ali Shah 45 and Charles Musemeza 30.

Waiswa’s late charge gave the total some bite, but he believes Uganda needed another 31 runs.

“I think we were 31 short on that wicket. It was a bit tough in the morning, and maybe in the middle there, I think we didn’t score more boundaries,” he said.

Kenya needed little time to expose the gap. Captain Dhiren Gondaria smashed 94 off 47 balls while Rakep Patel added an unbeaten 56 off 35 as the pair shared 119 runs to put the chase beyond Uganda.

Kenya raced to 193 for two in just 16.4 overs and for Waiswa, Uganda’s biggest problem was the powerplay.

“Them getting 70 in the powerplay was good for them,” he said, urging Uganda to be more restrictive next time.

“Maybe going forward, if we can put them under 60 or 50 on the small boundaries, it would be good for us.”

The Cricket Cranes also let opportunities slip in the field, with dropped chances adding to their troubles.

“We dropped a few off chances here and there, which might have changed the game,” Waiswa said.

He had no complaints about Kenya’s execution.

“But I think they played well.”

The defeat ended Uganda’s three-match winning run against Sierra Leone, Botswana and hosts Rwanda, but they remain second with three wins from four matches.

The Cricket Cranes head into two days of rest before turning to Sierra Leone, then get another shot at Kenya on September 18 at Gahanga Main Oval.

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