In the “Meet the Team” section of this blog there’s a section “Why I’m Nearly Famous.” In future Mark will be able to answer that he presented the Player of the Match award after an ICC international.
By coincidence with our trip, Cricket Uganda were hosting a qualification section of the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup at the glorious Entebbe Oval. On our last day there were two games. Mozambique played Sierra Leone in the morning with Kenya taking on Malawi after lunch. As we’ll go anywhere and do anything if there’s a cricket match involved we gve up our Saturday lie-in and headed to the ground hoping for an exciting and interesting morning’s play. To recognise CWB’s contribution to cricket developmnent, the ICC had asked our team leader Mark to be part of the pre-lunch presentation party and hand over the MVP trophy.
In the event Sierra Leone dismissed Mozambique for just 40 runs and chased these down in only three overs. You can see the highlights and see Mark’s presentation to Terrica Tommy at the end of this video.
The early finish meant that members of our team were able to chat to players from the two competing teams about their experiences in cricket, their plans for the future and how the game is developing in their respective countries.
Alice and Holly meet the players
After the match we had time to meet up with Tembo and his wife Josephine for a final rolex. Four of us made a short visit to the Entebbe school for children with special educational needs which Mark has supported over the years. This is wonderfully described in his post from 2024.
Cricket for All – Why we do it
After some last minute souvenir shopping it was time for a trip to the airport and farewell to Joseph untile next time. I’m not sure we really needed five x-ray checks on our luggage but who knows in these uncertain times.
The flight home from Kigali was uneventful but made memorable by the Rwandair pilot announcing that this was his final flight before retirement and shaking hands with every passenger as we disembarked at Heathrow.
Real life then intervened on the Elizabeth Line to Shenfield with the three worst words in the English language. Bus Replacement Service.
Jim
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