"Thank you for all you have done for Isaiah this Summer. He has made his mind up that he wants to be a professional cricketer. We would love to support his dream."

Fiona Terry

Wello’s Uganda Diary

December 1st to 9th 2008

Monday December 1st:

Arrive 7pm at Entebbe. Cannot escape thoughts of Idi Amin and Israeli commandos. Here we go...

Tuesday December 2nd:

Met with my liaison Fred Isa and went to Lugogo Oval where Uganda play their international fixtures. Session with Uganda Disability who are all keen as mustard despite some people missing arms and legs. Very humbling. Off to Kyambogo Oval in the afternoon to work with 2 girls’ schools who love their cricket.

Evening festivities at the legendary ‘Steak Out’ bar where dance music combined with Burnley v Arsenal in the League cup, an interesting mix.

Wednesday December 3rd:

Session at Lugogo with Uganda U15’s and U13’s. Lots of natural athletic talent on show and an extraordinary capacity to work strenuously in the sun seemingly without need for rehydration. Afternoon with Ugandan Women’s team and session on techniques to improve mental toughness with question and answers to follow.

Asked by Fred if I’d like to play in the National Final this Sunday for Tornado B against fierce rivals Tornado. This is a surprise. I agree, and then immediately begin planning emergency net sessions so as not to make a complete fool of myself.

Thursday December 4th:

Another session with Uganda Disability and then with a group of random children pottering about at Lugogo. 5 kids becomes 15 as various boys walk past, watch, then decide to join in. Dropped catches mean press ups and rueful looks from those who wished they’d carried on walking.

Afternoon at Kyambogo and The National Girls School Final, won by Source Of The Nile High. Press ganged into making speech as Guest of Honour and apologise for speaking in English as my Lugandan isn’t quite what it used to be.

Evening drinks back at Steak Out after another superb curry (Asian food in Kampala is exceptional) and am delighted to find Thursday is Rock Night. The sight of 700 Africans head banging to Led Zeppelin and AC/DC with one solitary Englishman highly amusing to all involved.

Friday December 5th:

Afternoon nets at Lugogo to get my eye in. Having spent the past 3 days telling Ugandans how to play cricket, I now have to show them I’m not a charlatan. Concrete nets and young, athletic fast bowlers limbering up suggest this could be interesting. Play surprisingly well until hit on left wrist by short ball. Everything stops and a haematoma the size of an ostrich egg forms. Lugandan Translation not required for growing crowd’s reaction to nasty looking injury as ‘ooooohhhhhh’ is universally understood.

Ice and compression and the bruise eases off allowing some coaching with Fred and ‘Davo’, Honorary Secretary of the Ugandan Cricket Association. The boys are introduced to ‘pressure fielding’ where the first mistake or dropped catch results in 400m sprints and core exercise ‘the plank’ for 90 seconds. Concentration levels rise surprisingly quickly after the first few drills.

Walk back to my hotel through housing area and local kids all smile as they shout ‘Mzungo’, meaning White Man, whilst waving frantically. I make a mental note that western political correctness has not yet reached Uganda.

Evening swim at the Africana using its superb, almost unused 30m pool whilst enormous African function takes place all around the poolside. Hundreds of well dressed people sip cocktails, help themselves to the generous buffet and discuss politics whilst I practice my front crawl. I decide that despite my Wolverhampton public baths upbringing, this is not an appropriate time to perfect my bombing technique.

Saturday December 6th:

Tourist day. John Ortega, the Mr Reliable of Kampalan transport, takes Fred and I to the Source Of The Nile in Jinja, 50km from the capital. Stunning scenery and setting with the beginning of Africa’s longest river and Lake Victoria. A boat trip to the actual source and I find running my hand through the warm Nile water irresistible.

Return to witness Ugandan boat worker jumping away from the water’s edge as if his life depended on it. It did. Unbelievably, a 7ft Black Mamba has appeared from the depths. The locals, who by now are sitting safely at the top of the hill, watch in disbelief as I immediately rush over to get a closer look, followed by a Texan with a video camera. I eyeball the snake for 30 minutes finally getting within 1 metre of him safe in the knowledge that Black Mamba’s don’t jump. ‘Watch out he doesn’t jump’ echoes behind me and I now realise I’m facing certain death. Luckily, the huge snake spots a large duck oblivious to the giant serpent’s presence and floats off to try a more indigenous delicacy for his lunch. Make another mental note not to dangle my hand in the Nile next time.

Drive back to Kampala after attempting to blag my way into the section of the Nile owned by Uganda Power Co. upstream of the Jinja dam where crocodiles live, without success. Overtake motorbike with passenger carrying a newly finished door some 7 feet in length. It occurs to me that this would raise the odd eyebrow on the North Circular Road during a Saturday afternoon.

Sunday December 7th:

Terrible night’s sleep due to all night party at the Africana and a particularly persistent mosquito. Why do attempts at getting to bed early before a big game always end in failure? When I finally doze off, am woken by loud mooing sound coming from outside. Opening the curtains reveals someone has left a large cow in the car park right beneath my window. Decide I must be dreaming.

Make my Ugandan cricket debut in the National 45 over final at Kyambogo. Fuzzy head due to lack of sleep is blown away by Parachute Regiment style warm up in 90 degree heat. Am asked to bat at 6 and enter the fray with spinners on and the innings in the balance after all my team mates smash boundaries galore before holing out. Decide to play innovatively and introduce Ugandans to the ‘dinky doo’ fine sweep shot off both spinner and seamer alike. Help Tornado B to 217 for 8 on a wearing pitch with a run a ball 32.

Tornado are never in the frame due to exceptional bowling and fielding performance from us. Athleticism of some fielders puts English players to shame with everyone capable of winging the ball in flat over the top of the stumps. Asked to turn my arm over but am now struggling to move let alone bowl. Produce 3 overs of moderate medium pace before collapsing in the outfield. But…..we secure victory by 71 runs and collect the million shilling prize kindly donated to the team by Nile Breweries. Despite the weak pound, am disappointed to find 1 million Ugandan Shillings is worth about £330 though free Castle Lager helps assuage my woe.

Monday December 8th:

Final session with Ugandan Women’s team at Lugogo. Fielding drills, running between the wickets and pressure catching constitute a tough 3 hour work out. Feeling poorly after yesterday’s exertions but still manage to do the time honoured cricket visitor’s tradition of giving all my kit/clothing away to grateful child and adult cricketers alike.

An afternoon of rest preludes my last night in Kampala and a beer with Fred and Davo at the nearby Chinese restaurant. Handshakes all round and it’s off to Entebbe for my flight back to South Africa. Tell my friend and driver John Ortega that I’ll be back. I hope I will.

Wello

December 2008