Newly formed Destroyers Cricket Club are the toast of Ugandan cricket. The club, formed and captained by former Ugandan international all-rounder Nehal Bibodi, took the national Bank of Baroda league title after winning all but one of their matches this season.

Bibodi, with a batting average of 64 runs, led from the front as Destroyers marched to a record 13 wins out of 14 games. Bobodi, man-of-the-series last year, was named batsman-of-the-season.

Even on paper, Destroyers looked the team to beat having got into their ranks Uganda's two leading players, Kenneth Kamyuka and Lawrence Ssematimba.

The departure of the two for professional trials in South Africa did not stop the march at the title, that Premier CC could not hold onto.

Tornado, another giant in the seven-team league, settled for second place with Joel Olweny their star. The side had mid-order international batsman Richard Mwami and Benjamin Musoke and bowlers Henry Kato and Henry Okecho in their ranks. They occasionally had the chance also to field Kenyan internationals David Tikolo and Maurice Odumbe.

Twenty-year-old Olweny was later named the league's man-of-the-series and their bowling work-horse Baig Akbar named the best bowler.

Wanderers, coached by Ugandan legend Sam Walusimbi, seemed to be able to take on the big-money sides this time round, but were undone early when national captain John Lubia moved to Africa CC, the oldest club in Uganda.

Africa were formed in the early seventies, after the game lost most of its players due to the expulsion of Asians in 1972 by then president Field Marshal Idi Amin Dada.

The prize-giving ceremony to mark the end of the league was held late November at Lugogo oval club with acting Indian High Commissioner Gulzar Singh chief guest.

Uganda Cricket Association (UCA) chairman Francis Kazinduki expressed his gratitude to the sole sponsors of the league, Bank of Baroda (ten years).

In attendance was also the General Secretary NCS and Ugandan cricket guru Abbey Lutaya who hailed the Indian community for their support of the game.

The Managing Director Bank of Baroda P.Kagalwala promised continued sponsorship of the game in a country, now ranked 10th from 24 in the ICC world rankings of Associate members.

Meanwhile, the season-ending Castle Lager Cup has began with two new entrants, Veterans XI and White Caps XI joining the race for honours.

Table standings

		P 	W 	L 	D 	Pts
Destroyers      14      13      1       0       355
Tornado         14      12      2       0       341
ACC             14      10      4       0       273
Wanderers       14       8      6       0       255
Nile            14       3     11       0       135
Lohana          14       4     10       0       123
JACC            14       3     11       0       115
Premier         14       3     11       0       102

Louis Jadwong is a sports journalist with Kampala's New Vision daily newspaper

© ICC