Mafuko Mavericks win Swaminarayan Pro20 tournament
Mafuko Mavericks players celebrate with the trophy after beating Mahadev Strikers in the final match of the Swaminarayan Pro20 tournament at the Shree Cutchi Leva Patel ground in Nairobi on November 12, 2022.
What you need to know:
- It was sweet revenge for Mavericks since Strikers had beaten them by 11 runs in their first meeting at the first round of the six-team tournament that also featured foreign players
- Gondaria, Irfan Karim and Sachin Gill were instrumental in Mavericks’ win since they all scored half a century
- Skipper Rakep Patel was Strikers’ top scorer with 43 runs off 22 balls with five fours and two overs
Skipper Dhiren Gondaria Saturday night led by example to steer Mafuko Mavericks to an impressive 38-run win over Mahadev Strikers in the final of the Swaminarayan Pro20 tournament at the Shree Cutchi Leva Patel ground in Nairobi.
It was sweet revenge for Mavericks since Strikers had beaten them by 11 runs in the first round of the six-team tournament that also featured foreign players.
The other teams included; Hari Om Titans, Play Master Warriors, Mombasa Cement Giants and Purple Dot Ndovus.
Titans and Giants crashed out in the semi-finals after losing to Strikers and Mavericks respectively.
In the final, Mavericks chose to bat first after winning the toss.
They set a target of 210 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20-overs which in reply, Strikers hit 172 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs.
Gondaria, Irfan Karim and Sachin Gill were instrumental in Mavericks’ win since they all scored half a century.
Mavericks had a bright start to the match when openers Richard Levi and Gondaria combined for 53 runs with the former leaving the crease in the fifth over with 29 runs to his name. By the 10th over when Gondaria was bowled out by Vraj Patel, he had increased his score to 58 runs off 35 balls with eight fours and a six.
The right hand batsman spiced up his impressive performance with two wickets in three overs to be crowned the man-of-the-match. Gill who was bowled-out by Lucas Oluoch in the 19th over was the match’s top scorer with 60 runs from 28 balls including five fours and four sixes. Karim hit 51 runs from 36 balls with two fours and three sixes.
Strikers’ chase for the target was complicated when they lost four wickets in quick succession after the eighth over.
Opener Sisodia, Thisara Perera, Pushkar Sharma and Tanzeel Sheikh were dismissed in the 8.1, 8.3, 9.1 and 9.3 overs respectively. Among the four, only Sisodi and Sharma hit a double digit score - 33 runs and 31 runs respectively.
Earlier in the second over, Strikers lost their first wicket when opener Abdulqadir Najmi was caught by Gill off Jainikkumar Nairan bowling.
Skipper Rakep Patel was Strikers’ top scorer with 43 runs off 22 balls with five fours and two overs.
