JACC booked their place in the Cricket Uganda Women’s T20 Division One after completing a convincing double over Pioneer Cricket Club at Lugogo Cricket Oval on Saturday.

JACC won the morning match by 85 runs before returning in the afternoon to register a 119-run victory, capping a dominant day that took them to 12 points and four clear of second-placed Africa Cricket Club (ACC).

Captain Rita Musamali was the star of the show, earning Player of the Match honours in both encounters after leading JACC’s batting charge and making an important contribution with the ball.

With only one fixture against Nile CC remaining, JACC are also well placed to finish their Division Two campaign at the top of the standings thus bagging the Division Two trophy.

For captain and wicketkeeper-batter Kevin Awino, the double victory was an important step towards the team’s ambitions, with the players determined to secure the championship before turning their attention to Division One.

“We needed to win these games to make sure that we take the title of Division Two Championship. We look forward to playing our last game with Nile with a positive mind and taking the momentum into Division One,” Awino said.

Musamali leads morning charge

JACC won the toss and elected to bat in the morning encounter, setting Pioneer a target of 160 after finishing their 20 overs on 159 for four wickets.

• JACC 159/4 in 20 Overs
• Pioneer CC 74/8 in 20 Overs
• JACC won by 85 runs

Awino gave the innings an early boost with 39 off 31 balls, hitting five boundaries before falling to Florence Kaijuka in the 10th over.

Musamali took charge from there, batting through the innings to finish unbeaten on 92 off 59 balls, with 11 fours and one six. Her knock kept JACC moving at a healthy rate despite the loss of wickets at the other end.

Namata Kevin fell for a duck, while Jacqueline Lalam made five before being caught and bowled by Hasfah Naula. Suzan Kakai contributed 11 off 10 balls before becoming Peninah Natabo’s second victim.

Lydia Mirembe remained unbeaten on four as JACC closed their innings on 159 for four.

Natabo took two wickets for 23 runs, while Naula and Kaijuka claimed one wicket each.

Pioneer struggled to respond, managing 74 for eight in their 20 overs as JACC’s bowlers kept the visitors under pressure.

Musamali was particularly effective, taking three wickets for just four runs in three overs. Lydia Mirembe claimed two wickets for 14 runs, while Patricia Iracha also took two for 13. Briana Natukunda added one wicket.

Pioneer lost wickets at regular intervals and never threatened to chase down the target. Summayah Tumusiime made four, Florence Kaijuka scored two and captain Abigail Happy Bulamu managed seven.

Given Bridget Nankabirwa contributed 12 off 23 balls, while Kevin Mukite top-scored with 13 off 25 deliveries. Angel Peace Kisaakye finished unbeaten on six, but Pioneer fell well short.

The 85-run victory gave JACC a strong start and put them in a commanding position heading into the afternoon match.

Awino and Musamali strike again

Pioneer won the toss and chose to bowl in the second game, but JACC’s batters again made life difficult for their opponents.

• JACC 175/1 in 20 Overs
• Pioneer CC 56/7 in 20 Overs
• JACC won by 119 runs

Awino remained unbeaten on 64 off 59 balls, striking five fours, while Musamali added an unbeaten 79 off 48 deliveries, including 12 boundaries.

The pair guided JACC to 175 for one in 20 overs, leaving Pioneer with a challenging target of 176.

Namata was the only wicket to fall, making two off 14 balls before being caught by Janet Nalubega off Kaijuka’s bowling in the sixth over.

With Awino providing stability and Musamali scoring freely, JACC built a total that proved well beyond Pioneer’s reach.

Pioneer managed only 56 for seven in their 20 overs, handing JACC a second victory and completing the day’s double.

Iracha led the bowling effort with two wickets for four runs in three overs. Mirembe also took two wickets, conceding 11 runs, while Patricia Mukanza and Lalam claimed one wicket each.

Lalam was particularly economical, giving away just four runs in three overs, including a maiden. Mukanza finished with one wicket for eight runs.

Pioneer struggled to build partnerships throughout the innings. Bulamu made nine, Tumusiime scored nine off 43 balls, while Hasfah Naula managed five. Nankabirwa made two and Mukite scored one.

Florence Kaijuka remained unbeaten on seven, but Pioneer ended on 56 for seven, losing by 119 runs.

Musamali’s unbeaten 79 earned her a second Player of the Match award, rounding off an outstanding day for the JACC captain.

Lalam delighted with team performance

JACC bowler Jacqueline Lalam was pleased with the team’s performance, particularly after securing both victories on the same day.

“I’m a bowling all-rounder. I’m happy today because we won two games,” Lalam said.

“I personally got three wickets. I’m happy for myself.”

Her satisfaction reflected the mood in the JACC camp, where the players combined strong batting with disciplined bowling to deliver when it mattered most.

Awino hails Musamali’s contribution

Awino praised Musamali for taking responsibility with the bat, especially in the morning match when JACC needed someone to anchor the innings.

Reflecting on the first game, the captain said the team had built its total around Musamali’s innings, with her own contribution helping JACC establish a competitive score.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to play through to give her a good innings with her. But she managed to take charge and played all through with the batters who came,” Awino said.

She was also pleased with the team’s ability to restrict Pioneer to a total in the 70s, although she admitted that JACC’s bowling had not been at its best in the morning.

The team responded well in the afternoon, putting up another strong batting performance before restricting Pioneer to fewer than 60 runs.

“We managed to come back and set a good score that we can defend. We scored 176 for the loss of one with the help of myself and Rita Musamali,” Awino said.

The official scorecard recorded Awino’s unbeaten 64 and Musamali’s unbeaten 79, taking JACC to 175 for one.

Awino said the team was pleased with its response when it was time to defend the total.

“When we came in to bowl, we restricted Pioneer with less than 60 runs. They ended in the 50s, which was a plus for us,” she added.

With promotion secured, JACC will now look to carry the same confidence into their final match against Nile CC.

Pioneer choose to learn from defeats

Despite losing both matches, Pioneer captain Abigail Happy Bulamu said the team would take valuable lessons from the experience.

Bulamu explained that the side had spent a long period without training because most of its players are Senior Four students who needed time to prepare for their studies.

“Firstly, we have taken a long time without training. As a team, our team is made up mostly of Senior Four students. So we had to give them time to read their books and focus on their studies,” she said.

Although the results did not go their way, Bulamu was proud that her players had returned to the field and given a good account of themselves.

“I’m very happy as the captain that they have been able to play and put out what they have put out today on the pitch. Unfortunately, we lost both games, the morning game and the afternoon game. But still, we picked up the positives,” she said.

Pioneer completed their 20 overs in both matches, giving the players valuable time in the middle to work on their batting, bowling and fielding.

Bulamu said the games had helped the team identify areas that needed more attention after the long break from training.

“We were able to know that there are things that we have spent such a long time without doing and we should practise them more. And so we are very happy that the association has given us this time to get more experience,” she said.

She also thanked the coaches for their patience and support, acknowledging the role played by coaches from other teams in helping Pioneer improve.

“We thank our coaches so much because they have been very patient with us. And we thank the coaches as well of other teams because they have given us experience,” Bulamu said.

“We have been able to experience bowling, batting, fielding. And we have been able to learn more from the national team players, from the team we have played against.”

JACC set sights on Division Two title

The double victory has confirmed JACC’s promotion to Division One and put them in a strong position to finish the second-tier competition at the top.

Their 12 points leave them four ahead of ACC, who have eight, with Nile CC standing between JACC and the end of their Division Two campaign.

JACC will now aim to finish the season strongly against Nile CC before taking on the next challenge in Division One.