By 
St. Mary’s Girls School Madera, serving as the hosts of the girls’ schools cricket tournament, has emerged as a delightful surprise in the competition, maintaining an undefeated streak in the initial three games.
Having made their debut in the Girls Nationals just last year, St. Mary’s Madera has quickly become a team to watch out for this season.
While perennial contenders like last year’s finalists Olila High and Light SS dominate their respective groups, St. Mary’s Madera has carved a unique path in Group B, securing the second spot with three wins out of three matches and accumulating 6 points, positioning themselves strongly for a semifinal berth.
Their journey began with a statement victory over Sacred Hearts from Gulu, champions of the Northern region, winning by a convincing margin of 33 runs on the opening day.
They continued their impressive form by defeating Central Region’s finalists, Ndejje SS, in a thrilling encounter by 18 runs on matchday two.
Today, they extended their streak by defeating Mukono Kings, semi-finalists from the Central region, by 32 runs, maintaining their second position in the group standings.
Despite not crossing the 100-run mark in any of their victories, St. Mary’s Madera has showcased resilience, successfully defending their modest totals of 60, 87, and 97 runs in their respective matches.
Led by captain Kulume Ruth, the team, with only four games left in the group stage, is poised to secure their semifinal berth.
Their next challenge awaits them against Gayaza High School at Father Hilders Ground tomorrow.
According to the head coach, the team’s recent success can be attributed to their exceptional bowling unit, spearheaded by Acan Zita and Kulume Ruth.
Emmanuel Twijukye, head coach of Madera, acknowledged that they didn’t have a strong run in the qualifiers, but he views the nationals as their tournament to shine.
Despite finishing third in the regional qualifiers, hosting gives us an opportunity to stay with the trophy here at St. Mary’s Girls School in Madera.
We're determined to improve and strive for the best
~Twijukye Emmanuel- Coach St Mary's Girls School Madera
#BuildingDreams pic.twitter.com/1GzAeDM9W7
— Soroti Cricket Academy (@SorotiAcademy) May 2, 2024
As Matchday Three concludes, notable performances include three Group A teams scoring over 200 runs in an innings, with Mbwali Naume leading the batting charts with 186 runs, while Apio Blessing Noeline maintains her dominance atop the bowling table with 9 wickets.
Noteworthy is Kulume Ruth’s exceptional bowling figures of 5/6, showcasing her prowess on the field.
Results for the 2024 Girls Schools Cricket Week Soroti
Matchday Three
Morning Results: 07/05/2024
SCA Ground
Jinja SS 200/4 beat Good Heart SSS 63/4 by 137 runs
Teso College Ground 1
Kilembe SS 81/9 beat Ndejje SS 78/6 by 3 runs
Teso College Ground 2
Light SS 54/5 beat Sacred Heart SS 51 all out by 5 wickets
Father Hilders
Masaka SSS 132/7 beat Iganga SSS 84/6 by 48 runs
Madera
Gayaza High School 52/5 beat Mukono Kings 51 all out by 5 wickets
Afternoon Results
SCA Grounds
St Mary’s Girls Madera 97/4 beat Mukono Kings 65 all out by 32 runs
Madera Ground
Olila High School 132/7 beat Iganga SSS 43/5 by 89 runs
Teso College Ground 1
Sacred Heart SS 79/3 beat Gayaza High School 78/7 by 7 wickets
Teso College Ground 2
St John’s SS 122/5 beat Masindi SS 90/9 by 32 runs
Father Hilders
Masaka SS 208/2 beat St James 51/7 by 137 runs
