Uganda begins preparations for its ICC Trophy debut with a six match tour of South Africa later this month.

The East Africans, who have yet to name their tour squad, will play the majority of their matches against club standard opposition from around the Johannesburg area.

Included on the itinerary are games against Gauteng and Easterns Invitational XIs. The tour opens on February 20 with a match against an Academy Colts XI.

The ICC Trophy will be the first occasion Uganda has played outside Africa. Partly due to this, they will go into the tournament relatively unknown and as such are regarded by at least one of their Second Division Group B opponents as potential threats.

Under the tournament format the first placed team in Group B will play the fourth placed team in Group B of the First Division in a play-off. The winner of that match will play in the Super Eights section.

Group B of the Second Division comprises Uganda, Malaysia, France, East & Central Africa, Argentina and Israel.

Meanwhile, on the domestic front, the season's opening tournament, the annual Luswata Cup is down to the semi-final stage, with Uganda's only cricket club based outside Kampala, Jinga, meeting Lohana and African CC playing Tornadoes.

Jinga qualified through its first round win over KICC, while Lohana defeated Premier. Tornadoes ousted new club, Destroyers, who encouragingly won their preliminary round game against Wanderers. African CC beat Nile CC.

The addition of Destroyers, comprising totally indigenous players, means nine teams will contest the National League, due to start in April. Front-runners are expected to be Tornadoes, African CC and Wanderers. The league will be staged over two rounds.

In the meantime, a second pre-season competition, the Mawanda Cup, will kick off on February 11. As well, London club team, Dulwich CC, will tour Uganda from February 15-20.

Off the field, the ICC-backed East African Cricket Academy received its first residential intake last month.

For three weeks, around 40 boys received coaching from the ICC's African Development Officer, Hoosain Ayob, East African Development Officer, Tom Tikolo, Kenyan batting star, Steve Tikolo, and Danny Becker.

The Academy will hold its next coaching classes during April.

Ugandan tour to South Africa: February 18-March 3, 2001.

Itinerary

Date			Activity				Venue
Sun Feb 18		Arrive
Mon Feb 19		Practice				Academy
Tue Feb 20		Colts Academy XI			Johannesburg
Wed Feb 21		Practice				Academy
Thu Feb 22		Lenasia Invitation XI			Oval
Fri Feb 23		Practice				Academy
Sat Feb 24		Gauteng Invitation			Johannesburg
Sun Feb 25		Visit to Sun City			Sun City
Mon Feb 26		Easterns XI				Benoni
Tue Feb 27		North west Students XI			Potch
Wed Feb 28		Morning Practice 			Academy
			Afternoon Visit to Soweto		Soweto
Thu Mar 1		Gauteng Invitation XI			Johannesburg
Fri Mar 2		Practice
Sat Mar 3		Leave for Home

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