As he contemplates the next move when his sabbatical in football ends, Maj. Gen. Ceaser Kayizari has taken into cricket. The former head of Ferwafa, the local footballers’ body likes to refer to his time out of active football administration as ‘a sabbatical leave’ and again as he further confirms it, an imminent return is on card. Speaking as chief guest at a dinner hosted by Rwanda Cricket Association (RCA) for visiting Uganda select side at Gorilla hotel on Sunday, Gen. Kayizari talked at length his love for the ‘gentleman’s game’. As part of its preparation for the forthcoming ICC World Cricket League Division 3/ ICC World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa, Rwanda’s senior men’s national team played two games against a select Uganda U-19 team. On Saturday, Rwanda won a Pro20/20 game and the excitement was evident on their lips but it could only be short-lived as the visitors turned the table on their hosts in a 50-over game on Sunday. For anyone connected to Rwandan cricket, Sunday’s defeat against a better Ugandan side can only be looked at positively it was an hands on learning experience, which will a long way in preparing them for the ICC tournament in Johannesburg from April 12 to 18. Chasing Uganda’s total of 233 runs in 50 overs, Rwanda’s batsmen collapsed with such surprise ease and in just 17.3 overs they all out for a paltry 39 runs with their top scorer Dennis Mukama contributing five runs. On a weekend when everyone preferred to look only the positives, one can not forget to mention two players on the Ugandan side who made life such a misery for their Rwandan counterparts. All rounder, Ronald Ssemanda enjoyed a field day when he ripped through Rwanda’s batting order with seven wickets in 8.3 overs and gave away just 14 runs. And what Ssemanda did with the ball, Daniel Batuwa executed it with the bat, smashing a quick 42 runs not out, which included some beautiful boundary shots. The Ugandan side was led here by veteran Ugandan cricket administrator William Kamanyi who has played a fundamental role in taking Rwandan cricket to where it is at the moment. On an evening when the two sets of players and officials from both countries were cementing their existing good cricket relationship, Gen. Kayizari was welcomed into the local cricket family. The man who was at the centre of things at the time when Rwandan football reached unprecedented heights is no stranger to the ‘gentleman’s game’ as he played during is high school day at Nyakasura school, though the last time he held a bat in his hands was 30 years ago.Ends
