Cricket: Obuya Academy maintain top spot in NPCA League
Obuya Academy A's Collins Obuya (right) bats as Ruaraka A's Chandresh Hirani looks on during their Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association (NPCA) T20 Super Cup match at Ruaraka Sports Club on February 20, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Obuya Academy Sunday beat visitors Nairobi Gymkhana Club A by four wickets at Lenana School to register their fifth win of the competition
- Hosts Ruaraka Sports Club A upset defending champions Stray Lions Cricket Club A by three wickets
- Kanbis Sports Club A defeated hosts Sir Ali Muslim Club A by 42 runs
The 2022 Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association (NPCA) 50 overs League continues to take shape with leaders Obuya Cricket Academy A maintaining their unbeaten run.
Obuya Academy Sunday beat visitors Nairobi Gymkhana Club A by four wickets at Lenana School to register their fifth win of the competition.
In the other three matches of the eighth round of the competition involving teams from Nairobi, hosts Ruaraka Sports Club A upset defending champions Stray Lions Cricket Club A by three wickets while visitors Kanbis Sports Club A defeated hosts Sir Ali Muslim Club A by 42 runs.
Hosts Sikh Union A beat Shree Cutchi Leva Patel Samaj School (SCPLS) A by 74 runs. In the match which was a top of the table clash since Nairobi Gymkhana were sitting second on the log heading into the encounter, hosts Obuya won the toss and decided to field.
The visitors set a target of 146 runs all-out in 30.0 overs of their innings.
Obuya successfully chased the target, hitting 147 runs for the loss of six wickets in 42.1 overs of their innings.
While Arun Yadav starred with 75 runs off 67 balls including six fours and three sixes, it was not enough to guide Nairobi Gymkhana to their sixth victory.
He came in as a fifth batsman and was dismissed in the 26.3 overs when he was caught by Abhishek Sharma off Gurav Singh bowling.
Captain Collins Omondi again top scored for Obuya with 58 runs off 88 balls with six fours and a six. His time on the crease ended in the 32.5 overs when he was bowled out by Yahs Talati.
Omondi went into the clash with two centuries to his name. Obuya remained top with 24 points from seven matches.
The other two matches they have played were abandoned due to unplayable wickets. Following the loss, Nairobi Gymkhana dropped to third with Ruaraka being the team that dislodged them from the second spot.
Ruaraka have 22 points, two more than Nairobi Gymkhana.
Against visitors Stray Lions, Ruaraka were the chasing side after the defending champions won the toss and chose to bat.
Stray Lions set a target of 200 runs all-out in 47.0-overs of their innings.
The hosts carried the day with 204 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 49.1-overs of their innings. Ruaraka’s Yogesh Sawant, who was not out was the top scorer of the match with 54 runs from 67 balls with four fours and a six.
Stray Lions’ Vaibhav Naresh managed 52 runs from 106 balls including four fours and a six. He was dismissed for Leg Before Wicket off S Gill bowling in the 45.2 overs. Sir Ali's Sigh Pannu was the star of the weekend as he smashed 123 runs off 89 balls including a whopping 16 fours and three sixes.
In the match, hosts Kanbis won the toss and elected to bat, setting a target of 279 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 50.0-overs of their innings.
Sir Ali were not successful in chasing the target, managing 237 all-out in 44.1 overs of their innings. After the victory, Kanbis are fourth on the log with 14 points while Sir Ali are sith with 12 points.
